Rivals’ delight at arrival of Neil Warnock
Livingston boss David Martindale has welcomed Neil Warnock to Scottish football and looks forward to coming up against a “big character” in the game.
The 75-year-old has been appointed as Aberdeen manager until the end of the season and takes over from Barry Robson, who was dismissed last Wednesday, with the Dons eighth in the cinch Premiership.
Warnock has been in charge of 15 different clubs over more than four decades of management and Martindale is pleased he has at last got around to coming north of the border.
He said: “We went down and played against Neil’s team when he was at Cardiff. He was very gracious. It was me and David Hopkin when Livingston were in the Championship at the time and I had the luxury of spending half an hour/45 minutes after the game talking to Neil.
“I am not going to say I know him extremely well but I have touched base over the years and I have enjoyed that, a WhatsApp here and there and I got a player, Ciaron Brown, from Neil.
“I am really looking forward to coaching against him. He’s a big character, a big personality and he has always had a burning desire to coach in Scotland and he is coaching at one of the biggest teams in Scotland.
“Doing all my coaching badges you come across a lot of players and guaranteed that when you are sitting at breakfast or lunch there is always a Neil Warnock story at the table. He brings a smile to my face. Just as a football fan, taking the Livingston hat off, I am delighted to see him in Scottish football.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has told Warnock he will love the “real football” in Scotland after taking over as Aberdeen boss. When asked if the Englishman would be a good addition to Scottish football, the former Liverpool and Leicester manager said: “He will be for you guys [the media]. He’s good value, Neil. I won’t be going at that age, I know that for sure, but he has wanted to be up here for a long time.”
Rodgers joked: “Now he’s up, he will see what the pitches are like, he will see what the media is like and he’ll see what the refereeing is like. But, no, he will enjoy it, he’s going to have a great time. I sent him a message and wished him good luck.
“What he will have is, there’s good people up here and he will enjoy it. It’s real football. He will love everything about it.”