Martindale 'dumbstruck' that no bigger clubs have made a move for Nouble

David Martindale says snobbery against Livingston players is stopping Joel Nouble from getting a big move away from Almondvale.

The Livi manager says he is “dumbstruck” than none of the bigger clubs have come in for the forward and cites the rise of Lyndon Dykes to being a Scotland regular as proof that a forward from the West Lothian club can make an impact at a higher level.

The 27-year-old has scored nine goals since joining Martindale’s side in 2021 and was tipped for a move away from this year after a string of impressive performances last season

But with three days left of the transfer window he is yet to receive an offer for the forward.

He said: “I think there is a wee bit of a snobbery attached to it because he is a player from Livi, I really do. You just need to go and look at what Lyndonn Dykes has done with his career.

“I’m dumbstruck sometimes, honestly, like how I see, let’s use Scotland as an example.

“Probably some of the bigger clubs going and spending hundreds of thousands of pounds, if not millions of pounds on a player that’s not tested in the Scottish game.

“When you’ve got, for me one of the best offensive players in the league (Nouble) on your doorstep. So I do think at times, and I’m biased.

“I do understand that I’ve got the benefit of coaching and working with the lad every every day.

“But I’m a wee bit dumbstruck, as I said, in how the phone’s not been busier from the bigger clubs.

“And I just kinda put myself, say I was at one of these clubs. I was one of these managers down south I’d have been phoning Davie Martindale.”