Cristian Montano: Livingston sign Port Vale winger on two-year contract
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Cristian Montano (right) joined Port Vale in 2017
Colombia-born winger Cristian Montano is to join Livingston on a two-year deal after his release by Port Vale.
The 29-year-old has rebuilt his career after being sacked by Oldham Athletic in 2013 amid match-fixing allegations, external that were later dropped.
He made 34 appearances this season for the side who finished 13th in England's League Two.
Livingston manager David Martindale is impressed by "the robustness he has shown in his career".
Montano has spoken publicly about the mental health challenges he has faced as a result of the allegations against him and has reportedly launched a weekly podcast on the subject and gives a percentage of the profits from a clothes brand set up with friends to mental health charities.
"I was alerted to Cristian last season, but for one reason or another, it never quite worked out," Martindale said. "I kept my eye on him and have watched a lot of footage of him from his season and I'm now extremely happy to get him this time round.
"He's a versatile player who plays predominantly as a left-back or a left winger. He has fantastic individual qualities."
Having joined West Ham United as a youth after his family moved to London while he was a child, Montano had spells on loan to Notts County, Swindon Town, Dagenham & Redbridge and Oxford United before joining Oldham on a permanent deal.
After being sacked, he returned to Colombia for a brief spell with America de Cali before joining Bristol Rovers in 2015 once the charges were dropped.
Montano, for whom Livingston have an option to extend his contract for a further year, helped his new club win promotion to League One, moved to Vale in 2017 and has made 26 starts in the season just finished, scoring four goals.
He becomes the second player to sign a pre-contract agreement with Livingston after Queen of the South defender Ayo Obileye.
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