Former Hearts star declared invaluable signing as he shows his true worth in eye of treble hunt storm

David Martindale has declared one of his former Jambos a top signing as Livingston hunt on three fronts.

The Lions are in the chasing pack with Falkirk and Ayr United for the Championship title and Queen’s Park await in this year’s SPFL Trust Trophy. Meanwhile, a home tie against Premiership club St Johnstone is on the horizon in the Scottish Cup quarter-final.

Danny Wilson won the second tier with Hearts during his time in maroon, having also been in success-demanding arenas like Liverpool and Rangers. Martindale says the ball-playing ability of Wilson was the reason for his arrival and he has been top drawer since coming in.

Wilson is starring alongside the likes 2012 Scottish Cup winner Ryan McGowan and Hearts loanee Macaulay Tait, who joined Livi on loan in the winter window. Martindale said: "I brought Danny in because of his use of the ball. We already had good defenders here, like Michael Nottingham and Ryan McGowan.

"They know their jobs inside out. Danny does too, but he gives us a bit of balance. He's left-footed, and very good on the ball. He gives us balance in terms of a back four, back three, whatever shape we are playing. Danny was probably three to four weeks away from fitness when he left Queen's Park to come here. But he has shown his worth and why we wanted him at Livi."

The ex-Jambo is happy to be an experienced head for people to lean on. He added: "I was lucky enough to play in cup finals and go for titles when I was young. When that happens you think it's going to be like that all the way throughout your career. You realise quite quickly that it isn't!

"Coming here as I did earlier in the season I could see Livingston were doing well. But now we're in a cup final, a quarter-final and right in the thick of it in the league. It's everything that you want as a player, to come in and have games so meaningful. It's great to be a part of and I'm really enjoying it.

"I'm not the boring old guy telling the younger ones to savour it, but they should. I think there's a part of your career where you've got to realise it for yourself. As we get closer to it we'll talk about the cup competitions, but our priority right now is the league.

"It's boring to say it's game by game but that's what it's going to have to be because it is so tight up there. When you're at some places you can value one tournament or trophy over another. I don't think we've done that here. I think we've given respect to everything that we've been in.

"That's why we find ourselves in a final, a quarter-final and in the thick of it in the league. There's going to be an edge in all these games if we keep applying ourselves, keep putting points on the board and keep progressing in the cups."