“Hopefully, this is the year I can make the breakthrough”

After signing his new contract and committing his long-term future to AFC, Calvin Ramsay, one of the most promising young players at the Club, spoke about his hopes for 2021 and beyond.

“It gives me a lot of security to sign a long deal like this. Training with the first team and getting the new deal gives me a lot of confidence. I know that I am going to be here for a lot longer so I can push on now and hopefully get into the first team as soon as possible.

“Because of Covid, it has been a difficult season for a lot of young players at clubs up and down the country. We are all desperately wanting to do well in the game and to impress but there has been no, or very little youth football.

“It was really disappointing when the U18 campaign was stopped last season. We were on the same amount of points at the top of the table as Rangers when the Club Academy Scotland League campaign was called and we also had a SFA Youth Cup final against Kilmarnock at Hampden to look forward to. All the Scotland youth team games were scrapped too. That was something I was really looking forward to.

“Despite all the problems this year, it is a great time to be at the club. Cormack Park is a fantastic facility and it is players like me who are going to see the benefit of it. We can spend more time working on our skills. We still have all our jobs to do everyday, like looking after the boots, the balls, the bibs, everything like that, but at least we don’t have to drive about Aberdeen in mini-buses picking up kit and equipment.

“There are also a lot of really promising young players waiting for their chance. We all push each other on every day. If we see if one the boys in the gym, before long we are all in the gym together! Out on the training pitches we all want to be better than each other. We all enjoy the challenge.

“This season, we have been training but there is no game at the end of the week. It hasn’t been great but I am very fortunate that I am training with the first team, so I have been in the Cormack Park bubble and involved with the squad on a matchday. Also training with these players, every day I am getting better. It is really good for my development. Hopefully one day I can go on and be like them.

“I was a little jealous when I saw Ryan and Kieran making their first team debuts recently! No seriously, I was delighted for them, they are both great players. It is also a huge incentive for myself and all the other young boys at the club. All it does is make you want to work even harder, to knuckle down, spend more time in the gym, work even harder in training. Hopefully, my chance will come soon.

“The manager has spoken to me and said he wants me to be pushing to get into his team during the second half of the season. The system the team are playing this season suits my game because I am more of an attacking full-back. The right-wing-back role is one I have enjoyed playing in the past. I have also played right midfield for the U18s.

“From the U10s up until the U15s I was actually a central midfielder, so I am comfortable with the ball at my feet. We then went to a tournament in Holland and the coaches decided to put me at right-back for one game, which just happened to be against Chelsea! The boy I was up against was a good player, he was a lot bigger than me as I was only 13, playing up a level, but I did ok and have been there ever since.

“I am in a dressing room with Tommie Hoban and Ross McCrorie, two very good role models to look up to. Both are excellent players but also really really good professionals who have their heads screwed on. They have both been a big influence on me. Tommie works so hard every day in the gym and on the training pitch and really looks after himself. Ross has explained a lot about and given me an understanding of the level I need to get if I want to play first team football at a club like Aberdeen and if I want to play for Scotland U19s, U21s in the future.

“I’m looking forward to a positive remainder of the season in 2021. Hopefully, this is the year I can make the breakthrough. I know I just need to keep working hard and making sure I listen to my coaches.”