Livingston need striker Sebastian Soto to step up, with the American loanee told he must perform in the Scottish Premiership if he is to have any chance of playing for Norwich City.

The 21-year-old is yet to score in five appearances as a substitute for Livi since switching his loan from Porto II in January, having scored once in eight appearances in the Portuguese second tier.

After seeing 13-goal top scorer Bruce Anderson suffer an ankle injury that could keep him out for the remainder of the season, manager David Martindale has talked up Soto’s prospects of starting action.

“That means someone else needs to step up,” Martindale told the Daily Record ahead of a trip to struggling St Johnstone on Saturday.

“There are others who can help out in the attack, but you’re probably really looking at Sebastian as more of a number nine and a direct replacement for Bruce so he’s the one you’re wanting to see make that step.

“You put in the hard yards in training and make sure you’re mentally ready for when you get a chance.

“Bruce is out with injury and you’d have to say if Sebastian has aspirations of being the number nine at Norwich City and playing international football, then he needs to show he can be the number nine for Livingston first and he’s got a chance to do that.”

Livi have two games remaining before the Premiership splits for the final weeks of the campaign and sit sixth, a position they need to maintain to stay clear of the relegation mix.

Soto joined the Canaries from German club Hannover in the summer of 2020 and secured a work permit after earning two USA caps.

He is yet to make an appearance for the Canaries though and had joined Porto with a view to a permanent deal initially, but remains under contract with Norwich until 2023.

Soto also hasn’t featured at international level since playing the final half-hour of a 6-0 friendly thrashing of El Salvador in December 2020, having scored twice in a 6-2 friendly stroll against Panama the previous month when featuring as a late substitute during his USA debut.

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