Lindsay just happy to ply trade at Thistle

WHO needs the Bernabeu or Camp Nou when you’ve got Firhill? Partick Thistle defender Liam Lindsay may not be on the radar of La Liga giants Real Madrid or Barcelona – well, not yet anyway – but he has been attracting plenty of attention from others.

For the time being, though, the Paisley-born centre-back is enjoying life at Thistle as he continues to establish himself as a key weapon in Alan Archibald’s defensive armoury.

“As a kid you dreamed of Real Madrid or Barcelona but it was a bit farfetched,” said Lindsay, who has racked up nearly 50 appearances for the club and is forging a handy partnership at the back with new recruit Niall Keown.

“The attention has been flattering but have to keep doing a job for Thistle and keep gaining experience. I obviously want to play at the highest level, but I’m happy here at the moment. This is a great place to learn your trade.

“Getting the game and the experience at this age is massive. You can maybe leave too early. You see it all the time. People going down south without any experience and they end up coming back up the road.

“Niall came in at the best possible time as we were in La Manga during the winter break. All the players mingled and we got to know him. He has slotted in really well and it has all been positive. I’ve had a few defensive partners but I enjoy playing with him.”

Thistle are just one point outside the top six and are slowly but surely inching themselves away from the perils at the foot of the table. Victory over a Hearts team still smarting from that heavy defeat they suffered to old foes Hibernian in the Scottish Cup would be another sizeable step in the right direction

“It’s the stage of the season where stringing a few results together can make all the difference,” he said. “We have a run of home games coming up where we will be expected to take points so there are no excuses. We just need to keep working hard. Consistency is going to determine whether we make the top six or not.”