Aberdeen’s Under 18s have enjoyed a strong start to the 2022/23 campaign, with just two defeats in ten league games this far, as well as progressing in the Scottish Youth Cup with a thumping win over Ross County.

A central part of that side, quite literally, is central midfielder Findlay Marshall who is something of a leader from his role as a defensive anchor-man. Findlay’s work rate and desire to win have been attributes that have caught the eye once again this term, as they have throughout his journey with the Dons, ever since he joined from Dyce Boys’ Club.

Findlay is also also one of seven young Dons who have joined The Dons on our trip to Atlanta, a journey across the Atlantic that he is relishing.

“It has been a good experience. It has been an opportunity to get to know the first team boys a bit better as well. Seeing the way they go about things, the little things they do has helped.

“I have been away to tournaments with the Youth Academy before, we went to Portugal not that long ago with the U18s as well, it has been good to travel and to see different places.

“It is good to have the other young boys here and to speak to them. The first team boys are a bit older so it is good to have guys the same age over here. We have had some downtime and been to the shopping mall. We are going to Topgolf which will be a good opportunity to bond with the guys.

“We were all buzzing to play in the friendly match the other day. I think we all did pretty well. Having Ross McCrorie playing alongside me gives you confidence. I was a bit nervous beforehand but once you get on the pitch I didn’t feel any pressure.

“The whole experience of this trip has made me want to push on and break into the first team. It has given me glimpse of what it can be like. I will go back to the U18s and try and push on to give myself the opportunity to break into the first team.”

Highly rated by Barry Robson – who knows a thing or two about wanting to win – Findlay is also close to a present day midfield enforcer. Part of his day to day routine at Cormack Park is cleaning Ylber Ramadani’s boots.

“Rama is a great guy. He is so positive. He has always got a big smile on his face. He has given me a lot of advice, he is always trying to help me. Liam Scales is also really good with me. Even though he does not play my position, he talks to me and goes out of his way to make me feel comfortable and one of the boys. Like Rama, he is a great guy.

“I have trained with the first team a few times this season and it is definitely another step up in terms of pace and intensity but all the players in the first team squad are good guys and they all help you out.

“It was a bit nerve wracking when I first had that chance. I remember the first time I got told I was training with them I was nervous, but as soon as you step on the training pitch and get a touch of the ball, you relax and just do your thing.”

Findlay is another member of the academy who has come through the Performance School, but he has acquired good footballing habits elsewhere too.

“I used to live in Perth but my family moved when I was young and I grew up in Stonehaven. I went to Arduthie Primary School and then the SFA Performance School at Hazlehead. It did help me technically, working every day on my game. I started playing for the Youth Academy at U12 level, six years ago. When I was really young, I was a striker. I have also played at right-back a bit but predominantly, I have been a midfielder.

“When I got told I was getting a professional contract here, it was obviously great news. I got told quite early that I was coming in full-time the following season so I needed to keep working hard to make sure I did not slip off from the levels I was playing at. I played a lot for the U18s last season and although at times it was very hard, it helped me make the transition from U16 to U18 football. This year I have felt more confident and have been able to kick on.

“I’m an Aberdeen fan. When I was young, I always liked watching Kenny McLean. Nowadays there are players that we can look up to like Connor Barron who have come through the same system. He is a very good role model. We can see what he has done, how hard he works every day, how focussed he is and how he took his chance when he got it.

“Ryan Duncan as well, he was playing with us last season and now he is part of the first team. Again, he is a very good professional who works hard and again, every time he has been given a chance he has taken it. Seeing what Connor and Ryan have done gives you inspiration and belief and I think that is very important when you are a young player trying to make a name for yourself.”

Coming back to the Under 18s this season, Barry Robson has certainly put out an attack minded team. Having scored an incredible 46 goals in their first eleven games this season, the 18s’ attacking football has been a joy to watch. Playing with two strikers, in a formation that is very often a 2-4-4 or 4-2-4, it allows the team to be attacking but asks a lot of the midfielders.

“The way we play we have to be fit, especially the midfielders who have to cover a lot of ground! The training has been hard. Pre-season with Barry was very tough, but we did the work and although it is still physically hard, we are able to handle it. You can see it in the games, it feels like we are fitter and stronger than most of the other teams.

“It is brilliant playing in this side. I have never played in a team that creates as many chances every game. Every time we go forward you feel that we have a chance of scoring. It is so exciting.

“It also helps the fact we have all played together coming through the academy. I would play up a level as well as at my own age group. So we know each other since we were playing for the U12s. You know what runs Aflie Bavidge is going to make, you know when Liam Harvey wants it.

“I have a really good partnership with Dylan Lobban in the middle of the park. We encourage each other and like to push each other on. We have a good bond and a good understanding on the park. We work hard to help each other. Dylan and myself both benefit from having Barry as our coach. He has played our position at the highest level. There is nobody better to learn from. He is able to pass on a lot of advice. He pushes us hard, but he also takes us under his wing and is always giving us tips. He is a brilliant coach.

“I have never played 4-4-2 before coming up this year. Now it feels like I have been playing it my whole career because it is drilled into us every day what we need to do. We work really hard on getting back into shape and knowing when to press as a team. We have taken the hard work we do on the training pitch into games and that is very satisfying.

“It has been a very good season so far. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We were quite inconsistent at the start of the season, but we feel we have now got a winning mentality and hopefully we can keep winning and we will see where it takes us in the league and the Youth Cup.

“We lost away to Celtic early on, but we put that down to a really bad day at the office. We also lost away to Hamilton who are having a very good season as well. It was after that defeat that we realised if we want to achieve something this season, those are the games we have to win. At home we have always done well, even last season, but this year we have to go and get results away to the sides around us at the top of the league. That is why our recent victory over Hamilton was so important.

“On a personal level, there are areas of my game that I need to improve and I am working every day to do that. I need to work on my body position to allow me to get forward as much as I can. When I am in a tight area, I need to work on getting out a bit quicker. Also in the final third, I need to work on my finishing, although I have scored a few goals this season! I have three goals and five assists. It would be good to get both into double figures.”