But the 31-year-old fans' favourite has now quit Maryhill to join Livi after growing disgruntled with the bit-part role he was handed by Caldwell.

Of the 12 matches the new Thistle boss has presided over since his October appointment, Erskine started just twice and he claims that left him with no choice but to move on.

"I'm excited to be here at Livi," he said. "It all happened pretty quickly but I'm happy to be back in the Premiership.

"It's a new start. I never played a lot under the new manager at Thistle and that was frustrating. It got to the point that I had to go.

"It was a hard decision. I've been there for a long time and everyone knows how I feel about the club.

"But it was made pretty clear during the time by the new manager, with the amount of games I played, that I had no future at the club.

"I had conversations with the manager but I think it speaks for itself for me to have only started two games out of 12.

"If you're winning games you accept that but as a forward player sitting there thinking I'm going to get my chance and for it not to come, that spoke volumes.

"I'm not bitter at all. I've said it before that I love that club and it will be my team forever more, so I'm not bitter – but I am disappointed. I'd have loved to have ended my career there.

"I think I deserved more. There was no attempt to get me to stay and eventually it came down to my own decision as other teams were interested.

"Livi feel I can still do a job and that's the main thing for me. I think I've still got a lot to give this club in the Premiership."

Erskine's arrival has been followed by the return of Ryan Hardie on loan from Rangers.

The striker – who has penned a new one-year deal at Ibrox – scored five goals in seven games for Livi during an injury-hit first half of the season before joining Steven Gerrard's squad for their winter training camp in Tenerife.

His new Ibrox deal takes him to the summer of 2020 and he will spend the rest of the season in West Lothian.

Livi manager Gary Holt – who could now pair his new front players in Sunday's Scottish trip to Hearts – said: "Ryan is good at putting the ball in the net. He's maybe not the best at holding it up or linking the play but we have other boys who can do that.

"You need that other ingredient in your team to make you click and we certainly saw that with the five goals he scored last month.

"He's infectious. He wants to score goals and we're delighted he's back."

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