Aberdeen this morning completed the signing of Red Star Belgrade forward Josh Parker on loan. The 24-year-old, who captains Antigua & Barbuda, will be at Pittodrie until January 2016 and could make his Dons debut on Saturday international clearance comes through in time.

He spoke exclusively to RedTV:

“I am not actually sure how the move came about to be honest but I do know that the manager knew about me as a player when I was a youngster at QPR. I think he tried to sign me of loan when he was manager at St Johnstone.

“His interest in me was very welcome. I believe he was keeping an eye on me and someone watched me when we played Kairat Almaty in Europe before Aberdeen did.

“The manager called me which was very nice. From what I have experienced in the game that is very rare. He took 20 minutes out of his day to get to know me. That made me feel very welcome.

“After leaving QPR, the club I supported and the club I was with from a young age, it had a big effect on me and I went on a downward spiral. It is a spiral a lot of players can go on.

“I felt I needed to go somewhere that would allow me to just concentrate on my football and go somewhere without any distractions. That took me to Slovenia. It was hard at first but after a difficult spell a new manager came in and believed in me. I started to perform which helped me get the move to Red Star.

“Going abroad has developed me as a player. I would recommend it to any player who gets released by a club. Even although it was hard emotionally being away from my family, it was the best decision I ever made.

“You take yourself out of a comfort zone and put yourself in a position where you have fight.  

“The biggest thing about going abroad was learning a different style of football. When I was playing in the lower leagues in England, it was all long ball with people telling me I was not big enough.

“I made a conscious decision to step away from it and learn a different style of play. I like to think that will benefit me here.

“I am only 24 and I am still learning the game. I have had so many ups and downs but I think this is a step in the right direction.

“Obviously Red Star has the history but the way the manager spoke to me and the vibe about the club, it feels like if I can do something here it's only going to help me and the club. That's why it felt right.

“I haven’t had a chance yet but I will make myself personal targets. You always have to give yourself targets.”

“The main thing is though that I just want to come in and make an impact in the right way and help a team that’s going in a good direction.”

“From what the manager said to me, the team needs me but I need them just as much as they need me. So it’s kind of like a match made in heaven.”

RedTV | to watch the interview in full please click here