Queens latest signing Roddy McKenzie's Almondvale misery

RODDY McKenzie endured two years of "torture" at Livingston before his switch to Palmerston.

The veteran goalie (pictured) watched as Livi became lost in a mire of debt and insecurity.

It got so bad he even had to take training sessions when the club axed the goalkeeping coach in a cost-cutting exercise. But now McKenzie is just looking forward to focusing on football.

He said: "It was torture at Livingston at times.

"It really was - especially in the first year.

"Guys were not getting paid on time for pretty much a year, and we were not even sure we were going to have a club at the end of the season. Then all the rubbish at the start of last season with the owner leaving and new ones coming in, and relegation too.

"It hit a lot of the boys psychologically.

"There were a lot of guys who didn't know what was happening day to day.

"The club had to make cut-backs there and they got rid of the goalkeeping coach, so I took that on board.

"It's unsettling going through that, although Livingston were getting a bit more stable when I left."

The 34-year-old made 156 league appearances for Livi during two spells at the club.

And it was book-balancing that saw him shunted out the club.

"Obviously they were looking to cut their costs and the older players are the ones who tend to get punted out," he said. "That's football though."

McKenzie nearly avoided his Almondvale heartache as ex-Queens boss Gordon Chisholm almost signed him when he was still in charge at Palmerston.

But McKenzie had already signed for Livi and Chisholm missed out on his man.

"I had the chance a couple of years ago when Gordon Chisholm was the manager," he said. "They called me up, but at that point I had just signed for Livingston.

"So it's good that Kenny still had me in mind when he was looking for a new keeper."

The veteran will have to fight with Queens shot-stopper David Hutton for the number one jersey.

And he wants to keep the pressure on his rival goalie.

He said: "David Hutton's a very good keeper with a bright future ahead of him. But I'm looking to make sure I'm in a position to step in, which will keep him focused.

"I'm not coming here to sit and do nothing.

"Every club I have been at, I've tried to make sure I make it into the team, and I've got success at most of the clubs I've been at.

"Queen of the South is a big club with a lot of fans, and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in."

McKenzie signed a two-year deal with Queens that will keep him at Palmerston until June 2012.