The following interview is from RedMatchday Issue 13

When you look back at a life, a club, a period through the viewfinder of history, it all seems to flow to a predetermined, logical course – such are the benefits of hindsight.

Yet when you are living through it, it all feels a lot more uncertain, chaotic some times, great highs rubbing shoulders with equally deep lows while there in the midst, we struggle to make sense of it all. You could apply that dictum to pretty well any life or career but you can certainly see it in the career of David Goodwillie, one which has had its share of ups and downs, successes and struggles.

Let’s be honest, it’s because of the latter that we were able to bring a player of real international quality to Pittodrie this summer after he was released by Blackburn Rovers because, if life was all one upward curve, David would surely be playing in the English Premier League now. As it is, that little bit of star quality that he can bring to a side is on show here in Aberdeen. And, as the league season gets ever tighter, that little flash of ability might be all the difference in games otherwise heading towards stalemate.

Equally, having an opportunity to play at a club where he is valued by management, colleagues and supporters might be all the difference as David looks to get back to the form that made him the SPFA Young Player of the Year in 2011, a Scottish international and a £2million target for Blackburn. David realises it too which is why, when given the chance to come to Pittodrie, he didn’t need to be asked twice.

“The manager really didn't need to convince me to come to the club. I know the history of Aberdeen and how big a club it is so I jumped at the opportunity.

“I know the manager from when I was a youngster at Dundee United and he was in the first team. We trained together quite a few times. He was a senior player and very well respected by everyone at Tannadice.

“He was a good player, a fantastic professional who always made time for the young boys. He was good with the young players back then and he is still very good with them today. He has not changed.

“His management is very good. He knows when you are unhappy and he will take you aside and speak with you. He will take players into his office in a weekly or even daily basis. He knows how to handle different players and different types of personalities. At the end of the day, footballers are no different to the general public, we all have to be managed in different ways. The gaffer is very good at that.

“Tony is a very good guy as well. You can speak to him about things, anything that is bothering you. All the players trust him and he has good management skills as well. I have known him for a long time as he was also at Tannadice, so we have a good relationship. They both know how to get the best out of me and I think that is showing out on the pitch at the moment.

“I am loving my time at Aberdeen. The lads have made me feel very welcome and I have settled in very well. There is a great togetherness in the dressing room, in fact both dressing rooms if you include the U20 one, and there is a real closeness around the club in fact, all the staff, the players, everyone.

“This is a real, proper football club here. It is run well. Everything is there for you. It is a great place to come in to work in the morning. The players and the team are going places, it’s very exciting to be here because you can see the potential for the future.

“The big thing is that I am enjoying my football again. I obviously enjoy it more when l I am playing every week, but the biggest enjoyment you get is being part of a winning team. Apart from a couple of games this season when we have maybe let ourselves down and not performed as well as we would have liked, there have been more enjoyable weekends that otherwise.

“All of that has helped me settle in really quickly, plus it’s a great dressing room to be a part of. I would imagine I come across as a bit of a joker in the dressing room! I tend to switch on when I walk onto the training ground and obviously onto the pitch whenever we play, but in the dressing room, you do need to be able to relax away from the pressures of the game with your team mates. You need to chill out and have some down time.

“I will admit I do have a bit of banter and play the odd trick on some of the boys! That is just the way I am. There are a few other jokers in their as well. Barry Robson is quite funny, but it is more of a mature banter! He loves a moan and is so easy to wind up.

“Away from here, I also share a flat with Willo. He is some boy. He is the next Alex Ferguson! He is going to be a manager one day. I just get constant formations thrown at me. He is a great guy though and has been very good to me.”

The last couple of years have been tough ones for David after those early days of pretty much unbroken success at Tannadice, but he accepts that those difficulties have actually helped him improve as person and player.

“You are learning every day at football no matter what your circumstances are. I am one of the middle age players at 25 and I am still learning every day. I learn from the older players such as Russell and Barry and I can still pick things up from the younger players as well. There are a lot of very talented younger players here who have impressed me. There is a very good set up here with a very balanced squad.

“I knew when I came here the manager had a longer term plan for me. Because I had not played for a long time or played regularly over a long period, it was always going to take a while to get my match sharpness back to the levels it needed to be at. It is difficult because you can only really get it back from playing in games.

“You also lose your confidence as well. Confidence is important when you are a striker but then again it is important for anything you do in life. If you are confident going into a situation, there is far more chance you are going to have a successful outcome. I did not play in the three league games before Partick, and I then I started there but I was not overly happy with my performance, my standards are a lot higher than that.”

Both David and Adam Rooney have had spells this season where they’ve played the lone  central striker role in a 4-5-1 formation, something David relishes as part of the ongoing learning curve he’s on.

“It does not really bother me to be fair. I respect it is the manager’s decision and he has reasons for putting out different formations. Whatever I am asked to do for the team, I will go out and do my best.

“I think we got a lot of joy when Adam and I played up front together. I enjoy playing with Adam because he understands me and I understand him. We built up a good partnership over a short period of time. We got on well together off the park as well. He is a quiet lad but a very good professional and gets on with everyone in the dressing room.”

When playing that lone role in particular, a powerful work ethic is crucial and that is not an issue for David. His appetite for hard work is well respected by all his colleagues at Pittodrie, even if it isn’t always so obvious from the stands.

“I think a lot of your work rate goes unnoticed because a lot of the runs you make, maybe well over half them, you don’t actually get the ball. I believe defending starts from the front and it is something the management team drill into myself and Adam.”

With the international breaks behind us, we are into the real meat of the season now and, despite the disappointment at Dens Park last week, there is still much to look forward to this term.

“December and January is a very important part of the season in the league campaign. There are a lot of games coming up over a short period of time and hopefully the strong squad we have will benefit us. We also have the league cup semi-final against Dundee United to look forward to. I still speak to a few of the United boys and I am good pals with John Rankin, so I know it is a game both teams are looking forward. It should be a great occasion. 

“Even though we went out of the Scottish Cup last week, I still think it is going to be a really big season for Aberdeen. It was important we did not lose any of the boys before the transfer window shut in August and now, hopefully we can maybe bring one or two in during the January transfer window. It has taken us a bit of time to show our top form but I feel we are getting there now and there is a lot to look forward to. That’s even more the case when you look at some of the young boys coming through.

“Young Lawrence Shankland has been doing brilliantly. He is a very good prospect. He has maybe been a bit unlucky with the way the team have been going right now. If things had not been going so well, I can imagine Lawrence might have been thrown in and I have no doubt that he would do really well and could then go on and play a lot of games. He has been doing very well and just needs to continue to do so.

“It must be frustrating for him and some of the other young boys, who have been in outstanding form for the U20s this season and who impress in training, that they don’t get more opportunities. It is frustrating but it’s just part of being a young player. I know that myself from when I was a young player. You just need to have the right attitude and keep working hard and doing the right things and your chance will come. Cammy Smith is in a very similar position. He has been doing very well and is on the fringes. He came into the side against Partick Thistle and did a good job.”

David came here on a one year deal, so questions will inevitably soon be asked about the future. For the minute, he’s not interested in them though.

“I have not really though much about my future. I know it is a cliché, but I am just taking each game as it comes. I just want to get into the team on a regular basis. If I am playing regularly, playing well and scoring goals, then everything will take care of itself. The only aim I had at the start of the season was to get as much game time as I could and to do the best I can for the team. I have personal targets but I like to keep them close to my chest thanks!”