Livingston midfielder Josh Mullin believes David Martindale would get the full backing of all the players if he steps into the managerial role on a permanent basis.
Martindale has put his name forward for the job after leading Livi to a 4-0 win over Ayr on a caretaker basis following Gary Holt’s resignation.
Martindale has been an influential figure at the club since 2014 and played a key role in signing Mullin either side of the midfielder’s spell at Ross County.
The club’s head of football operations has held major influence over recruitment as well as assisting Holt and his predecessors in the dugout and Mullin believes his promotion would go down well.
Mullin said: “Davie has been here from day one, he brought me to the club in the Championship. We went down to League One and went straight back up.
“Nobody knows the club better than Davie. He is one of the first here in the morning and the last away, he absolutely loves the club.
“In my opinion, if Davie felt he was the right man for the job, he would be backed by all the boys 100 per cent.
“When I left, I kept in contact with Davie, that’s the kind of guy he is. He is not just a coach, he is a friend.
“That’s one of the main reasons I came back to the club. When I left County I came in and spoke to Davie, and just seeing what he’s done with the place and seeing the ideas he has got, everything was positive.
“If you look at Livingston over the last few seasons, they have definitely established themselves as a Premiership club and, coming back, I can see the changes they have made.
“Even down from Davie to the physio, the kit man, sports scientist, they have all been here and know what it’s about. It’s a great backroom staff.”
Livingston chief executive John Ward and chairman Robert Wilson later stressed they were in no rush to make a decision.
In a joint statement, they said: “The board met on Monday and we feel it is in the club’s best interests not to rush into any decision. We will take time to carefully consider all available options and get this right.
“We have the support of the players and first team staff, and we are all more than comfortable with Davie Martindale taking the team on an interim basis supported by Liam Fox and Tony Caig.”
Martindale will not be the only caretaker manager for Saturday’s Scottish Premiership visit of Dundee United.
With United boss Micky Mellon and his entire first-team coaching staff self-isolating along with nine players, academy coach Thomas Courts, a former Livingston player, will take charge.
Martindale said: “I know Tam Courts and Tam is more than capable. And I know the bunch of players that Dundee United have got. Will it make them put that extra effort in? Potentially. Will it give them an in-the-trenches kind of feeling? Possibly it could.
“The players they have got are more than experienced enough to deal with it and the coaching staff that are going to take the team, they are all professionally-qualified, they are all good coaches in their own right.
“It will have some effect, whether that’s a positive or a negative, obviously I hope it’s a negative.”
