Player Feature | NIALL McGINN

With an extraordinary 18 assists to his credit thus far this season, his contribution could hardly be any greater. It’s a statistic that understandably gives him a great sense of satisfaction.

… “The most important thing is that we win games. To set up goals that do that is a nice feeling of course, it’s as pleasing as actually scoring the goals themselves, but only if we go on and get the results we need. We’ve been doing that for the last couple of years now and it’s a great thing to be a part of.”

… “With the Dons on the brink of qualifying for the Europa League and with second place in the offing too, you might think that the job is done but from within the changing room, there is no appetite for letting up now as the side chase a strong end to the season.

… “If we secure second spot it will be a massive achievement. The amount of points we have racked up even at this stage of the season and with the number we still have to play for, we could get to an impressive total.

… “What is encouraging is that we have improved on last season. This is a very professional set up and we continuously want to improve, we want to win more trophies and so we want to set down a marker for next season now. The cups have been disappointing this season, but that can happen in knockout competitions unfortunately. But our consistency in the league has been exceptional.

… “It is nearly 30 years since Northern Ireland last qualified for a major tournament so for us to do it you would definitely go into the history books. For a player to be part of that would be great. Growing up, you dream about playing in these major tournaments so if I ever got the opportunity to do so, it would be unbelievable.

… “As a professional footballer you go and play week in week out for your club, you enjoy doing well in the
league, you enjoy cups runs, you enjoy playing in Europe. As an international player, you want to play in major competitions. It is something that everyone watches.

… “I was born in 1987 so I have never seen them play in a World Cup or European Championships during my lifetime. I have seen Gerry Armstrong’s goal against Spain in 1982 many times and it is a moment that has been talked and talked about for years. It would be great for everyone in the country if we could get there next summer”.

Former Players Association | GEORGE MULHALL

The recent signing of Kenny McLean bucked the trend of players choosing to head south of the border to play their football but as Kevin Stirling explains, the exodus to England has been going on for many years…
Over the years, many Scots have been tempted to take the road south in a bid to further their careers. Many great Aberdeen players have joined the English League including the likes of Jock Hutton, Alex
Jackson, George Kinnell, Jimmy Smith, Martin Buchan, Joe Harper, Eoin Jess and more recently, Ryan Fraser, Jack Grimmer and Fraser Fyvie, to name but a few.

During the 1950s, that road south was a lonely one as back then the top clubs in Scotland actually paid their players more than their counterparts in England due to a wage cap down south. Aberdeen led the way by being the top paying club in British football for several years and the general feeling was that there was little incentive to move and certainly not for financial gain. That situation was blown away in the early ‘60s when a player revolt in England revolutionised the game and gave players far more power when it came to negotiating contract terms. That effectively opened the floodgates for Scottish players to be tempted south and many made their way into the English League thereafter.

One Aberdeen player who tried his luck down south was George Mulhall. Before his transfer from Aberdeen to Sunderland in 1962, it was fair to suggest that the Dons were in the doldrums and struggling to reach the heady heights achieved in the mid ‘50s. With the club looking to actively sell on their finest players due to several seasons of plummeting crowds and lack of success, Mulhall was among several Aberdeen players who left the club around that time. George was certainly a rarity at Pittodrie in the early ‘60s as he was the only full Scottish international at the club after Archie Glen retired

Young Dons | ROBBIE MUTCH

“Being an Aberdeen fan, the whole experience is quite surreal. It takes a while to get used to. My Dad and I were actually going to go to some of the European games as supporters, but then I signed in the summer and could not go!

“I train with Jim Leighton and the other goalkeepers every other day. Jim is a legend at the club and everyone has told me all about him. I am too young to have seen him play but being an Aberdeen fan, I have watched a lot of his games back on the Internet. I really enjoy working with him. Training is tough though. I would not imagine there are any fitter goalkeepers in Scotland because he really works us hard.

“All the goalkeepers are very friendly with each other and we all get on well. I was nervous when I first trained with them but they all made me feel and welcome. Scott Brown has gone out of his way to help me. He made me feel every welcome when I first came in. He lives out my way so has helped out with lifts, which is a great help as I don’t drive yet. Jamie and Danny are also good to me. Danny has had something like four player of the month awards out of seven at Dumbarton, so he is having a great season.

“I am still only 16. When I signed in the summer, I was told my main focus this year would be with U17 football. I still play for them most Sundays. I did not expect to play much for the u20s, I thought I would be on the bench now and again, as Bryce was there and he was older. So to have had as much game time as I have had is extremely pleasing.”

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