Former Hibs’ midfield enforcer Marvin Bartley is determined to add a Betfred League Cup winners medal to add to the honours he won at Easter Road and prove the doubters who thought he’d come to Scotland to ‘semi-retire’ wrong.
Bartley was a popular player with the Hibs’ fans due to his combative style of play. Alan Stubbs signed him from Leyton Orient and was an unused substitute in Hibs’ Scottish Cup victory over Rangers in 2016 and the following season he helped the club to promotion back to the top-flight.
He made his debut in a 3-0 home victory over Montrose and went on to play 124 times for the club including the League Cup final in 2016.
Bartley saved his best performances for the Edinburgh derbies, losing only one game in ten appearances.
He will captain Livingston in the Betfred League Cup final this weekend against St Johnstone after a successful season that has seen the club rise to fifth place in the table under new manager David Martindale.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference Bartley said: “I came into the professional game really late and then when I did finally come up to Scotland people were telling me I was basically going in to semi-retirement and that I had no ambition. I had that from a few people who I turned down to come up here.
“I came up here and won the Championship, I was part of the squad that won the Scottish Cup and I hope I can complete that by winning the League Cup on Sunday. I did come up here to prove a point and if I can win the League Cup I think that shows everybody I made the right decision.
“I love it here, the people have been fantastic and I definitely feel at home here. I always strive to be the best possible version of Marvin Bartley I can be and luckily enough it’s taken me to play in some big games and win some competitions.
“I never thought that this would happen to someone like me; a kid from Reading brought up in a single parent home, these sort of things don’t happen. I hope I can complete a really good story on Sunday.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
