And so another season starts!

At Pittodrie today the U19 side returned after their summer break as they began their pre-season training and helped with the preparations for the first team squad returning on Wednesday. Along with the youth side were a few of the first team players who were carrying injuries at the end of last season. Some of the coaching staff return tomorrow and everyone will be back on Wednesday.

Youth team coach Neil Cooper took the U19s out this morning for a training session then spoke to RedTV at lunchtime.

"The break seemed to pass quite quickly but once you come through those doors you are ready to go again. It is the beginning of the new season and the aspirations are high. It is an opportunity for the boys to go and progress to the next level and hopefully many of them will take that chance.

"Mark wanted the U19 boys back on Monday so we had a light session this morning but the guys have done a bit of work over the summer. They were all issued with a training sheet and they all came back in good condition. The days have done of people coming back over weight. It is a shorter break and they are doing preparation work during that break.

"We have nine new faces starting out on the path to hopefully becoming a regular and to try and get in the Aberdeen first team. Again there is a mixture of local players and those from further a field and different parts of the country including the Borders and Ireland. The scouts and coaches have all been working really hard with these players and have got them to a level that has been deemed good enough to earn them a professional contract so hopefully we can take them to the next part of their football career.

"The two Irish lads have been over a few times. Both are centre backs with a lot of potential.

"We have high hopes for the season. We have a lot of players who we think are good enough to get through to first team level over the next couple of years.

"It is a new beginning at the club for everyone. All the players have to show the new management team that they are still progressing and that they want to be part of the future."

Back row (left to right): Jordon Brown, Joe Shaughnessy, Dominico Gibson, Patrick Barrett, Przemysław Łukasik.

Front row - Jamie Masson, Fraser Fyvie, Conor Devaney, Clark Robertson.