Talbot’s Premiership Promotion Push

"I have always wanted to play at the highest level possible. unfortunately due to whatever circumstances, I haven’t been able to reach it yet.

Former Livingston defender Jason Talbot has played in every division in the SPFL structure…apart from the Scottish Premiership. The 32-year-old admits that reaching the top tier of Scottish football would be the pinnacle of his career.

Jordan Burt interviewed the left-back who signed for the Pars in the summer of 2015. He discovered that Jason feels that it was right to leave Livingston after 7 years with the club.

“At the time, I felt it was the right decision. I also feel my decision to leave also influenced certain other players, big players for Livingston, to leave at that time too. Do I regret leaving them? No, I don’t. In a sense, you wish you had stayed as you were only three years away from a testimonial and not many people get one of them these days.

"To be part of what it was for 7 years, I have built up so many good memories. Yes, there were bad ones too but the good memories certainly outweigh the bad. It was a big decision but looking back now, it was the correct decision for my career to leave Livingston and join Dunfermline.”

Having suffered administration in his time with Livi, and seen the scenario at Dunfermline, Jason did his research before he joined.

"I didn’t want to come into a similar situation here and I found out that the club were aiming to do things right. I had massive conversations with John Potter and Neil McCann at the time as those were the two in charge when I first got contacted about the move and then with the current gaffer when he came in as manager – I liked everything that Potts and Neil had to say and then I loved everything the manager right now said too. They were massive influences in me deciding to drop down a level to join Dunfermline.”

Talbot had previously won the Third and Second Division titles with Livingston, and he found winning League One with Dunfermline equally rewarding:-

“I wouldn’t say it was a harder challenge. When I came here, I knew instantly how good a squad had been assembled and what type of players we had. We had Faiss (Faissal El Bakhtaoui) up front and I have honestly never seen someone move so quick in my life, he was lightning fast! He was the type of player I had never really played alongside before, and I have never really had that out-ball either, so, to be a part of that squad was fantastic.

"Winning the league was always going to be hard but it was obvious straight away I had joined a club which were about to do something good that season.”

The way the title was won was impressive - 83 League goals, 79 points and the title won before the end of March. That was rewarded with several players in the PFA Team of the Year all combining to make it an incredible season for Jason who continued:-

"We had a good squad that season and it showed last campaign too, despite being up a division, we still had a solid season and were unlucky not to reach the play-offs. Even that in itself was an achievement as we had consolidated the club back into the Championship.”

Talbot has only scored two goals for the club, but he remembers his first at home to Stranraer quite vividly!

“The other team had a corner and we cleared it – I was on the edge of the box and I remember seeing nobody else was there so I just thought `I’m going to sprint up the line` and I don’t know why I sprinted down the right hand side, I just did, and when it was floated into the box, it was lucky enough for me that it fell kindly on to my head. It was a good team goal, to be fair.”

Now in his final year of his contract and with the ambitious of reaching the Premiership surrounding the squad, does Jason feel this is his best opportunity to reach the top tier of the SPFL structure?

“Football League wise, the English and Scottish Premierships are the only two divisions I haven’t yet played in. I will never play in the English version, I already know that and I have known that for a long time! The Scottish Premiership is something I would love be a part of and I would love to give it a shot with this club. This is probably my best and last opportunity to try and get that opportunity.

"I have always wanted to play at the highest level possible. unfortunately due to whatever circumstances, I haven’t been able to reach it yet. I am looking forward to what is happening in front of me now. Playing in the Premiership would just be an added bonus because hopefully I stay on with the club if this chance ever arose: I think gaining promotion and playing for Dunfermline in the Scottish Premiership would be the pinnacle of my career – it would be the highest point of my career and I would cherish that for the rest of my life.”

Born in Irlam near Manchester and a trainee at Bolton Wanderers until released by Sam Allardyce in 2005, Jason played at Derby County, Mansfield Town and Port Vale before deciding to head to Scotland. Jason was signed by the newly appointed Roberto Landi and he was unaware just how that move would be a life changing one.

“This is my life, now. I think I have known that for a long time, especially with my daughter being here. This is my home, I have made it my home. I am part of a great club with fantastic team mates: you can’t ask for much more. I wake up in the morning and I know that I am doing something I love doing. I have everything I possibly need outside of football too. I have an amazing daughter and a fantastic partner who supports me through all my career choices, no matter what.”

With the Pars heading into the second quarter of the season well placed for a title challenge, the Englishman concluded by saying:

“My message to the fans would be thank you to all the supporters who turn up week in, week out and constantly encourage us. We are extremely grateful for it and we want that to continue as the more fans we can get in to the stadium the better as we can easily make East End Park a fortress.

"When we get teams here they don’t succeed that often as we don’t crumble under the pressure of the fans being on our backs, if things don’t go our way. If they can keep supporting us how they have been, then things will continue to go well and that can only aid the good relationship we all have here at the club. The support really does help us and if we can keep doing our jobs then we can look forward to finding out what will happen in the future.”

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