The Dons central defender spoke to RedTV and RedMatchday recently:

2017

“It has been a pretty good year for me.

“Especially when you look back at the start of 2017.

“I was out on loan, struggling a bit and not playing well. So to finish the year the way I did, having played something like 15 out of 16 games, it was a very positive ending and hopefully I can take my form in 2018.

“It was tough at times. You need to be strong mentally. But I always thought that if I kept working hard and kept doing as much as I could off the pitch to help my performances on the pitch, I would get there in the end and thankfully I have.

“It takes time to adapt to the first team. The first few games are something completely different and you are a bit out of your comfort zone, but after that I have felt more relaxed going into games. You can never be completely comfortable. You have to look after yourself and also realise there is a massive importance in winning games, especially at Aberdeen. It doesn’t matter how the three points come, as long as you get them.

“A big thing for me is the concentration and I think that has been decent enough in the games I have played. I would say I have done quite well but it is the small details I need to improve. For example, when I gave away a free-kick against Hamilton Accies, it led to a goal. You get punished at this level and it can make the game an uphill battle from then on.

“Every game I play in, I will watch the full game back again. I can never really sleep after games so I will watch the games back on RedTV as soon as I can, whether it be a midweek game or on a Saturday night. I am always trying to learn as much as I can. The important thing is not to make the same mistake twice and the things I am doing well, do them more often.”

The U20s

“All the boys playing in the development team know that if you do well there then the manager will give you a chance. You will get a chance to train with the first team and then you never know, you might get that opportunity to play for the first team in a game.

“I have managed to get in the team in the last couple of months and Frank has now made a couple of appearances and Danny also came on.

“Frank showed what he can do. A lot of fans will not have seen a lot of him but I am sure they were impressed with what he did in the Rangers game. Not just his free-kick, he was driving at players trying to make things happen. He now deserves some exposure. He has been doing that for the 20s for the past two years or so.

“It probably all started with Scott Wright. He scored a hat-trick at the end of last season and also played quite a few games at the start of this season. Seeing him starting games, right at the start of a season, when it really matters as opposed to getting games at the end of a campaign when things are done and dusted, it made me realise that if you are good enough then the manager will play you. I got my chance and other boys are getting a chance to show what they can do.

“All of us have had to be patient and serve our apprenticeship if you like. Everyone wants to play in first team at 16 but that is not always the best way to learn. I went away with the first team when I was 16 for pre-season to give me a taste. I then had a year developing in the U19s with Neil Cooper.

“Then the following season I had half a season with Paul Sheerin before going out on loan. I got that first team experience which was massive at that age. I then went to the Championship the season after for a few games but the squad was quite light here so I was brought back. At the end of that season, I got two games with the first team. Then I had to go back out on loan again the following season, back to Ayr. It was not a great season for me, but as a player you are learning all the time.

“My loan spell at Ayr started off well and I played something like ten games in a row. I then signed an extension till the end of the season but was in and out of the team and then got sent off against Hibs in the Scottish Cup which didn’t help.

“It was a tough season with the results, but I learned a lot from the experience. I knew I was not playing well enough, so I could not argue when I got dropped. There were boys playing better than me who deserved to be playing ahead of me. That is the way football is. You just need to get your head down and get on with it. It was a tough spell but a good education.

“Danny went out on loan at Dumbarton last season and it clearly helped him. He was playing at a good level in the Championship and was man of the match on a number of occasions. He has come on a massive amount.

“Scott and Frank haven’t gone out on loan but I think it is different for attacking players compared with defenders. They can get more minutes and appearances. You can throw them on towards the end of a game to make something happen. Danny and myself would just have been sitting on the bench or the stand, so loans were the best option for us.

“There is also a lot of promise in the young boys that are coming through. Bruce Anderson and Connor McLennan are both on loan and you have a number of boys in the 20s side who are really impressing this season. They might not be near the first team at the moment but if they keep progressing the way they are, it won’t be too long.”

Leadership

“Being made captain of the Scotland U21s recently was a massive boost. I had not been involved with Scotland for a couple of seasons, not since I finished with the 19s. Then I got a call up for the Holland game and did well and have been part of the team ever since. Being captain was a special moment. Also with the game being at Perth most of my family were able to make it along.

“I always try to show leadership qualities. It comes with the position that I play. I am always trying to organise boys around me as much as I can. But they will also do the same with me if they think that I am out of position. It works both ways and it is what makes a successful back four and a successful team.

“You learn something different from whoever you play alongside. If it is Kari or Anthony in central defence and also the boys in front of me as well as Andy at left back. He has so much experience. So you learn from all the boys around you. You just have to try and take what you can from each of them and try and put that into your own game. Hopefully that will make me a better player in the long run.”

The Management Team

“The gaffer has been here from the first day I joined the club as a full-time professional. We have been very settled. That first pre-season, I went away with the first team. He showed early on that he had faith in me. More recently he gave me a chance in the first team and kept me in there even although we have had a few difficult results. Knowing the manager has your back every time you go onto the field gives you so much confidence.

“As well as the manager and Tony, there is a very strong bond with all the backroom staff and there is a superb team in place. Everyone at the club has huge respect for Paul Sheerin. I know his title is U20 coach, but he is a lot more to this club than that.

“All the players know and like him. Even the first team boys have worked with him in training, on a matchday or when they have played in a development game. He is in the dugout for the first team games. He still is someone I will go and speak to and get advice from. He will also be honest with you and you need that.

“I think the fact the manager has stayed shows how far the club has come over the past few seasons. They have had success here in the past and ultimately, like anyone in football, that is what they have stayed here for, because they believe there is unfinished business.”

Winter Training Camp

“I missed out on going to Dubai last year so I am looking forward to going this year. Ultimately it is a training camp that will prepare us for the second half of the season.

“Niall coming back is a great lift for everyone at the club. the amount of goals and assists that he has chipped in with over the years, hopefully he can do that during the second half of the season and help the team be successful.”