Former Rangers and Hearts defender joins Livingston on short-term deal

The centre-back is now a Lion and could make his debut against Ayr this weekend

Livingston have announced the signing of former Rangers and Hearts defender Danny Wilson.

The 32-year-old has joined his hometown team on a short-term deal until January 2025 to help ease the Lions injury worries and prepare himself for a shot at a return to America, where he enjoyed a five-year spell in the MLS with Colorado Rapids between 2018-2023.

Gaffer Davie Martindale is delighted to have a player of Wilson's calibre on board, with the centre-back having played in the English Premier League with Liverpool earlier in a career spanning over 400 appearances for his club and country.

And Martindale says it comes at an important time with injuries to duo Ben Jackson and Shaun Donnellan to contend with.

The Lions boss explained: "After the update on Ben Jackson's [ankle] injury from parent club Brighton and Hove Albion being worse than we had anticipated, coupled with Shaun Donnellan only recently having his surgery, I felt we were a little bit short in our defensive numbers.

"Hopefully Ben will be back before the end of the calendar year, but Shaun has a good bit still to go and looks like it will be more likely late in the season for his return.

"Danny had been in training with us, with a view to getting himself back to America so a short term deal at this stage suited both parties.

"He has been brilliant in and around the club and I am looking forward to him now being able to join up with the group properly as a Livingston player."

During his 15-year career, Wilson has had two stints at both Rangers and Hearts, while he also enjoyed spells with Blackpool and Bristol City down south. He was recently with Livi's Championship rivals Queen's Park, before becoming a free agent in the summer.

Wilson could make his Lions debut in Saturday's big clash away to Ayr United, which sees second and third in the Championship go head-to-head.

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