Livingston

Livingston striker Hardie defends artificial pitches

| 15 February 2019

The 21-year-old has no problem with the surface at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

Livingston striker Ryan Hardie believes his body has grown used to training and playing on an artificial pitch.

Hardie and his Livingston team-mates were not asked for their opinion on the surfaces before PFA Scotland submitted a petition calling for them to be banned in the Ladbrokes Premieriship, which was signed by every player from the nine clubs with grass pitches.

The on-loan Rangers player can understand where his fellow professionals are coming from but has no concerns about the pitch at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

Hardie said: "I find it all right. I'm used to playing on it now. Before when I was on loan at Raith, they trained on it as well.

"I find it all right but I can see why people want it banned.

"It is a slightly harder surface and it's not the same as grass so your body can take a bit longer to recover. But once we train on it every day you get used to it.

"It's like anything, if you keep doing it, it will get used to it.

"I respect everybody's opinion, I don't have anything against any people saying anything about it."

Hardie missed the first few months of the season through injury but has not had any problems since.

"I got my injury on a grass pitch," said the 21-year-old ahead of Saturday's visit of Dundee. "I got it at Dundee United, so it could have happened on any pitch.

"But when I came back and trained on it, my ankle was absolutely fine, I never really felt a reaction to it."

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