Livingston manager David Martindale reveals striker has "made his feelings clear" about future after starring show in Scottish Cup defeat to Aberdeen

David Martindale has admitted Jay Emmanuel-Thomas will likely leave the club this summer after the striker scored a double in Livingston’s Scottish Cup defeat to Aberdeen.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is set for move after scoring twice in Livingston's Scottish Cup defeat to Aberdeen (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

The manager hailed Emmanuel-Thomas’ display after the former Arsenal striker struck his sixth and seventh goals of the season having only arrived from Thailand on a short-term contact in October.

The 30-year-old also scored a penalty in the shootout but could not prevent his side losing the tie after Aberdeen scored all theirs. Jason Holt missed for the League Cup runners-up. Emmanuel-Thomas came close to scoring a hat-trick in extra-time to put his side 3-2 up but saw his shot go narrowly wide of substitute ‘keeper Gary Woods’ far post.

“The big man was brilliant today,” said Martindale. “We are probably not going to hold onto him for too much longer, he’s made his feelings clear. To be honest, we shouldn’t have a player of that calibre because he can go elsewhere and make a lot more money.

“He could probably go back to Thailand or somewhere and earn double figures a week. That was his best game in a Livi shirt today and best of luck to him wherever he ends up.

“I’m disappointed but am proud of the players at the same time,’ Martindale added. “I am gutted for them because they put so much into the game. Aberdeen probably dominated the ball in spells but we had a lot of chances we feel we should have done more with.

“We should have done better with the second goal because we were up in their box and then the next thing they were in our box scoring a goal. So I am happy with the performance but not with the result.”

Martindale has now seen his side win only once in their last 11 outings after an unbeaten 14-match run after he took over in November. “If you’d told us we’d get to a cup final, finish in the top six and get to this round of the cup and go out on penalties - I think we would all have taken that at the start of the season,” he said.