Impressed Livingston manager has say on the Hearts player Scottish football is "lucky" to have following Tynecastle defeat

David Martindale has hailed Hearts’ player Barrie McKay and believes Scottish football should be grateful to have such a talent in the top flight.

Livingston manager David Martindale was impressed by Barrie McKay, who scored in Hearts' 2-0 win at Tynecastle (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

The Livingston manager was speaking after McKay broke his duck for Hearts with the decisive second goal as the Tynecastle side made it three wins a row.

Beni Baningime scored the opener after just three minutes, but it was McKay’s strike that saw the midfielder steal the show. The midfield sent a sumptuous curling shot into the top corner just before the hour mark.

His first goal for the club has been a long time coming but it has been an exceptional first season at Tynecastle for the former Rangers playmaker.

Despite what it meant for his own side’s chances of retrieving something from the game, Martindale was full of praise for McKay afterwards.

“I think wee Barrie McKay, we are lucky to have him in the Scottish Premier League if I am being honest,” he said. “I think he is a fantastic player. I can’t believe he is still not still playing football down in the English Championship. I will need to watch it back but from where I was standing that is an unbelievable finish. The way he connected with it… he is a massive, massive threat.”

Martindale also delivered the news that striker Bruce Anderson is likely to be out for the rest of the season. The former Aberdeen player injured his ankle in training earlier this week and won’t be able to add to his tally of 11 league goals this season. According to Martindale, it is now about getting him ready for pre-season.

“Brucie is going to be long term - I mean six weeks plus,” he said. “We will be lucky to see him again this season.

“There’s been a massive improvement from Monday and he looks as if he’s going to be a quick healer. But best-case scenario you are looking at six weeks. More probable about eight.

“I’m gutted for Bruce because he was chasing a lot of targets - personally and for the club. It was such an innocuous thing in training but that’s football.”