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In RedMatchday 05 there is an in-depth interview with Jonny Hayes

One of the abiding memories of the European campaign was Jonny’s astonishing run in the final minutes of the game in the Netherlands. On a hot, humid night, the players had to put quite a shift in yet Jonny somehow had the energy to sprint the length of field to get up in support of a break. Sadly it came to nothing. “I made that run and then Niall did not pass to me! I had a little word with him after! I was gutted!”

That run was indicative of the hugely impressive fitness levels that play such a major part in Jonny’s game. When he spoke to us for the programme last term, he gave us plenty of insight into a very strict fitness regime, particularly his attention to nutrition. That paid dividends for him last term and has allowed him to relax things just a little having reached his goals – only a little mind you, not much!

“I have felt much stronger in the past 14 months or so. When the new manager came in, I had a look at my game and thought about what I need to change. One of the elements was my diet and my nutrition, I went to a nutritionist, Scott Baptie, to work on that, and that has paid off for me.

“I am probably not as strict as I was a year ago because I have got myself to a level of fitness where I can now relax a little bit. When I go for dinner, I do not have to worry about taking food out with me in Tupperware boxes!
“I actually stopped going out to nice restaurants because I did not want to disrupt my eating plan. Now I am a little bit more relaxed. I am still very strict around game days though and I don’t ever eat rubbish.

“I don’t think nowadays you can get away with just showing up on a Saturday and expecting to be able to play. You have to be prepared. You have to have the right amount of sleep, you have to eat the right things. With the demands of this manager and this club you have to give yourself the best chance to live up to expectations.
If we can all agree that Jonny is the fittest he has ever been in his career, is he also playing his best football?

“I don’t really know to be honest, that’s for others to say. I don’t really over analyse my performances. I think I have adapted my game over the years. I am playing a much different role to the one I played three or four years ago up at Inverness. I was a lot more attacking and got involved in more goals. The way we played, I almost had a free role and I did not track back as much.

“Now, I have adapted to playing in midfield in a diamond formation or to playing at left-back. I am now more defensively aware than I was and that has added to my game. I have maybe lost a couple of goals a season, but I think the manager’s view is that I would be a lot more trustworthy to play in a tough away game or a big European tie. He knows I am not going to give up on a full-back or lose runners. I also feel a lot stronger and fitter than I have ever been.
 
Amongst the other features, there is a look at when Neil Simpson came face to face Real Madrid again….

Aberdeen Football Club were successful in applying for Leonardo funding support earlier this year, with four representatives from the Club and Youth Academy undertaking a learning visit to the world’s biggest football club, and most successful Academy development programme… Real Madrid.

AFC shares a history with the mighty Spaniards with every Dons fan aware of the club’s greatest triumph coming in Gothenburg in 1983, defeating the side from Spain’s capital to lift the Cup Winners’ Cup. That link has been maintained, with AFC’s Head of Youth Academy, Neil Simpson part of the delegation that visited Madrid on this occasion.

The primary objective of the visit was to identify best practice behaviours which help develop the stars and leaders of the future, an objective shared by Leonardo. The open nature of the visit allowed the AFC representatives to study training methods and practices at close quarters, as well as get the opportunity to discuss Academy support programmes such as sports science, coach development, medical provision and performance analysis.

In 2007, a delegation from AFC, which included Head of Youth Academy Neil Simpson and Football Operations Manager Steven Gunn, visited Madrid’s training ground Ciudad de Real Madrid during the UEFA Cup campaign of that season which had pitted the Dons against Real’s city rivals Atletico. Much was learned during that visit and valuable relationships forged which culminated in a visit by Real coach Jose Manuel Gil Delgado to AFC’s Youth Academy to deliver coaching masterclasses to Academy coaches. This time JMGil played host as the AFC team were given access all areas to the inner workings of the Real Madrid Youth Academy.

Head of Youth Neil Simpson said, “We were fortunate to have the opportunity to develop a relationship with Jose and were delighted when he invited us back to Real’s training complex, this time for a week-long visit. During the week all of the Real staff were hugely accommodating and we were allowed access to all training sessions and matches from U8/9s to Real Madrid ‘B’.”
 
 
Plus articles from all our usual columnists including Manager Derek McInnes and skipper Russell Anderson, there is an interview with Willo Flood, the usual in-depth history section including the Golden Years, a club news section with all the latest on what is happening behind the scenes at your club and a world football section with stories and opinions on the game.
 
How to Buy
RedMatchday 05 is available from the programme sellers in and around the ground. It is on sale now from the AFC Club Shop and you can also buy a copy online by clicking here.
 
 Feedback
We always welcome your feedback. Let us know what you think about the new look programme or what you would like to see included in future editions. You can contact the programme editor at redtv@afc