Former Rangers defender joins Scottish club on short-term deal as manager details MLS move plan
10/15/2024 07:07 AM
Former Rangers defender Danny Wilson has made a short-term move to join Livingston.
The 32-year-old made the switch to the Scottish Championship outfit following his exit from Queen’s Park as the Lions looked for defensive cover.
Both Ben Jackson and Shaun Donnellan have been ruled out of action for Livi with injury issues and manager David Martindale was keen to bring in at least one reinforcement with the former expected to return relatively soon.
Donnellan, however, might be out longer-term and the boss moved swiftly to sign up Wilson who has vast experience in Scottish football.
Wilson has played for Rangers, Hearts and Liverpool throughout his career so far and has more than 290 appearances in first-team football to his name.
Martindale explained why he was interested in the centre-half to take him to West Lothian and he described the career progression plan for the player.
Wilson recently played with Colorado Rapids in the MLS before he returned to Glasgow with the Spiders late last season.
And after training with Livingston to gain his fitness levels back, Martindale felt it was a mutually beneficial move for the player and club to join short-term to gain minutes as well as help out.
Danny Wilson has joined Livingston in the Scottish Championship
The boss knows Wilson’s plan beyond this season is to potentially make another move back Stateside in America, but until then he’s happy to be working with the veteran.
Speaking after securing the defender, Martindale laid out the blueprint of how he hopes – and expects – to find success with Wilson at the heart of the defence for the next few months.
“After the update on Ben Jackson’s [ankle] injury from parent club Brighton and Hove Albion being worse than we had anticipated, coupled with Shaun Donnellan only recently having his surgery, I felt we were a little bit short in our defensive numbers,” he said.
“Hopefully Ben will be back before the end of the calendar year, but Shaun has a good bit still to go and looks like it will be more likely late in the season for his return.
Wilson hopes to return to the MLS after a stint with Colorado Rapids
“Danny had been in training with us, with a view to getting himself back to America so a short term deal at this stage suited both parties.
“He has been brilliant in and around the club and I am looking forward to him now being able to join up with the group properly as a Livingston player.”
Livi are third in the Championship right now with 16 points from their opening eight fixtures.
