De Lucas delighted to finally get ‘ dream’
LUIYI DE LUCAS admits he is thrilled to have signed for Livingston despite being told he was “crazy” for dreaming of a move to Scotland.
The Dominican Republ ic international yesterday agreed an initial 18- month deal after impressing on trial, 12 months after a previous training stint at the Lions came to nothing.
The defender had recently been at Haka and was a team- mate of former Motherwell and St Mirren forward Lee Erwin in Finland.
The 28- year- old admits Erwin was quick to tease him about his desire to sample Scottish football.
De Lucas, who could make his debut at home to Dundee United tomorrow, said: “I’m delighted to have joined Livingston because it was always my dream to come to British football.
“I have followed it all of my life, I love the passion of the fans here and I always wanted to get here.
“I watched English football when I was a boy and I always watched the highlights. It is different here compared to a lot of leagues and when I got a bit older I started taking more interest in Scottish football as well.
“I spoke to Lee quite a lot about Scottish football. When he came to Finland at first and we were talking about his time here I said to him it was my dream to play in Scotland. He told me I was crazy.
“He is a good friend and we had a good few chats about playing here.
“He told me that the game here is different to Finland and it is much more intense and there are more transitions than what I am used to.
“I knew that anyway after watching Scottish football. But he told me if I do my thing I can do well here.”
De Lucas, who has spent most of his career in the Spanish lower leagues, is delighted his perseverance has paid off after manager David Martindale was unable to offer the centre- back a contract a year ago.
He added: “I was here last year as well but I wasn’t able to play in any games for the gaffer. It was just training so I couldn’t show what I could do.
“The manager told me that he liked me but at the time he had enough centrebacks and he didn’t need me.
“It takes balls to come to a club twice on trial to win a contract. I don’t think too many people would try that.”