Jamie Brandon admits he’s looking forward to going up against the biggest influence of his career, David Martindale, as new club Kilmarnock hosts Livingston tonight.
The versatile defender made the move from the recently promoted play-off winners to Rugby Park this summer, as he became Stuart Kettlewell’s first signing as the new Killie manager.
Brandon was Livi’s captain after spending three years at his local team in West Lothian.
Now, he’s fully focussed on Killie. And while facing his former employer adds another dynamic to the Premier Sports Cup group fixture, he’s ready to tackle it head-on.
“I definitely look back on it with a lot of fondness,” the 27-year-old reflected on his time at Almondvale. “It’s obviously my local team, you know, I’m a West Lothian boy.
"They gave me an opportunity to go back into the Premiership when I was leaving Hearts after being on loan at Morton.
"I felt I improved a lot as a player in my time there, obviously made friends that I’ll have for life. Last season was definitely the best season I have had in my career.
"Davie [Martindale] has to be up there with my biggest influences. He's the manager I've played most football under.
"He sets high standards, and they are standards you want to take into the rest of your career.
"Playing them twice so early is a bizarre double! It will be a good challenge for us. They're a good team and they will be competitive.”
Speaking about the summer transfer window and his move to Ayrshire, he discussed how that all took place.
Brandon also divulged how he broke the news to his former boss.
He added: "He was brand new when I told him I was leaving. He understood and said I went with his best wishes.
"He wanted to keep me, but it was out of his hands at that point”.
The versatile full-back still stays in Whitburn and commutes to Killie and still keeps in touch with his good friends Andrew Shinnie, Jack Hamilton and Danny Wilson.
Jokingly, he went on to say he hasn’t heard from them this week.
"They are three great lads and three people I spent a lot of time with last season,” he said. "There's been no chat this week. It's been radio silence from them.
"I usually hear from them quite regularly. I'm sure after the game, I'll speak to them and catch up with them."
Brandon was quick to remind everyone that he is a Kilmarnock player, as he revealed what his chats with Kettlewell were like before and after signing his two-year deal.
He said: "I had a conversation with the gaffer here and I liked what he had to say and liked his vision for the club.
"After that conversation and things were agreed, it was something I looked forward to.
"Everybody is fitting in well. There is a good core group here who have welcomed all the boys."
Meanwhile, Kettlewell is eager to get down to business in his first competitive home match as Killie boss.
He added: “It gives us a good test, where some of our new players will get to experience what it’ll be like to go up against a Premiership team, and what that feels and looks like.
“We want to try to rotate the squad so that we’re getting minutes into other players. Equally, we want to be as strong as we can to try to win the game.”
