Allan Preston, the new Livingston manager is interested in bringing Brian Kerr, the out-of-contract Scotland internationalist, back to Almondvale, but fears finances will prevent him from making a move.

Preston has started rebuilding his squad for next season after being officially appointed by Pearse Flynn's Lionheart consortium on Friday.

With only four players still contracted to the club Preston's job is a difficult one, though he has already held talks with captain Stuart Lovell, keeper Roddy McKenzie and defenders Oscar Rubio and Emmanuel Dorado with a view to keeping the influential quartet at the club next season. He has also been in contact with youngsters Scott McLaughlin and Will Snowdon and hopes to persuade all six to remain in West Lothian.

Kerr enjoyed a loan spell with Livingston at the start of last season and was a regular in the side before a leg-break saw him return to Newcastle. After another loan spell at Coventry he is now out of contract and on the look-out for a new club.

The 22-year-old is being trailed by Ruud Gullit's Feyenoord and German side Bayer Leverkusen and still wants to prove himself south of the border.

Preston said: ''I speak to Brian regularly, about once a fortnight, just to see how he is getting on. He is a good lad and we've kept in touch since he was here on loan.

''There are a number of clubs interested in him and financially we can't compete with the likes of Feyenoord. I know he would like to stay down south, but he would consider coming back to Livingston if everything was right, and if he did come back up to Scotland we would definitely have a chance of getting him here.''