Livingston boss David Martindale has heaped praise on Celtic defender Dane Murray, revealing he would have snapped up the young centre-back “in a heartbeat” had he been made available for loan this summer.
Murray, 22, was one of three changes made by Brendan Rodgers for Saturday’s 3-0 win over Livingston at Celtic Park, and once again looked composed and assured as part of a reshuffled back line.
After the match, Martindale made no secret of his admiration for the defender.
“Look at Dane Murray, I would have taken Dane Murray in a heartbeat for us in the Premiership this year,” he said to the Herald. “I thought he was one of the outstanding players in the Championship last year. He was fantastic.”
Murray spent the first half of last season on loan at Queens Park, before rejoining Celtic and getting a few minutes here and there. He has clearly caught the eye of several top-flight managers. While Celtic received a number of loan enquiries for him during the summer, Rodgers has opted to keep the Scotland youth international in Glasgow as part of his senior squad, where he will serve as backup to Cameron Carter-Vickers on the right side of central defence.
Rodgers has already spoken highly of Murray’s development in recent weeks, particularly his performances in pre-season and his growing physical presence. Saturday’s outing further underlined the manager’s belief that the defender is now ready to contribute when called upon.
