Last week, Seb Ross was handed a first team squad number for the remainder of the season, a reward for the hard work the 17 year old has been putting in with the Dons and at International level.

Seb is yet another local lad who has been with the club from a young age, first signing for the Dons at 10 years old. The central midfielder from Inverurie has a great first touch along with an impressive range of passing and he has certainly made an impression during his first year as a full time professional. A player who has performed exceptionally well throughout his time with the Aberdeen Academy, Seb looks an excellent prospect for the future. He is also an extremely well grounded youngster who has the attitude needed to get to the top.

He spoke to RedMatchday about how his first season has gone so far.

“Becoming a professional footballer is the best thing ever, but it does take a while to get used to. Training every day, that is a big step up in fitness. I was at the SFA performance school at Hazlehead and there is no doubt it helped prepare me, it gave me an insight into what it is like training every day, but it is still a big step and the early mornings are hard!

“Most of the boys are settling into life as a full-time professional now. The first half of the season was difficult but we are now becoming a team and the results in the second half of the season have been a lot more encouraging.

“For me personally, I played mainly for the U17s before the winter break but have forced my way into the U20s side in recent months and hopefully I will get some more game time between now and the end of the season. Paul Sheerin has given the young Dons a chance and we are all working wel ltogether. That is showing in the results. We want to finish the campaign strongly so we can take some momentum into next season.

“I am a central midfielder and I have also played at right-back for the 20s. I am quite happy to play anywhere as long as I get game time. I know a number of very good midfielders have started their first team careers at right-back, like Ryan Jack.

“There’s a big group of boys coming up from the 17s. Some have already pushed their way into the 20s side whilst others are on the fringes. We have Joe MacPherson, David Dangana, Chris Antoniazzi, Lewis Hutchison as well as myself who are all full time this season and next year there will be a number of others who will be joining us. The fact that almost all of us have played in the Development League already should bode well for the future.”

On the International stage. Scotland’s under-17s are Croatia bound in the summer for an unprecedented fourth successive UEFA European U-17 Championship finals. After progressing through the qualifying round last year, defeating Malta, Wales and Portugal, Scotland played host to the elite round over six days recently.

The Scots, whose squad included Seb and Aberdeen striker Lewis Hutchison, recorded victories over Montenegro, Serbia and Switzerland at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. Scotland have now been drawn against France, Hungary and Faroe Islands at the Championship finals in Croatia. This year’s tournament will be played between 3 to 19 May across seven venues – five in and around Zagreb, and two near Opatija. The group winners and runners-up will advance to the quarter-final stage to be played 12/13 May. The final will be played on 19 May at Stadium Vara?din.

Scotland are among the top seeds after a flawless qualification campaign in which they won all six matches, scoring 16 goals and conceding only once. This year’s finals will be Scotland’s fifth appearance at the under-17 finals, having first qualified back in 2008. It will be Scotland’s fourth in successive seasons, having reached the finals in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Their best performance came in 2014 in Malta where they reached the semi-finals. The final tournament will also act as a European qualifier for UEFA's five berths at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, running from 6 to 28 October.

“The trip with Scotland went very well. Everyone was very pleased, especially the manager after the three games. It was a great achievement to get three wins out of the three games. I got minutes in all three games. I played the full games against Montenegro and Switzerland and got the last half hour in the second match against Serbia, so I got a decent bit of game time in the midfield.

“We have good depth within the squad and that was needed. If we have any injuries, it does not affect the quality of the team massively. We went into the tournament with confidence and we came out of it on top.

“What also helped was the fact that most of the boys know each other. It was pretty much the same squad that was picked for the recent get togethers. All the boys get on really well. There was a really good spirit off the park and that showed in the games.

“For a player of my age, just travelling away to a competition like this was a whole new experience. Representing your country and playing against different styles of football and different types of players was also a big learning curve for me. It was a good challenge and I liked it. Hopefully we can get a good run in the Euros to further enhance my experience of International football.

“Scott Gemmill is a very intelligent coach. All the boys trust him and listen to what he has to say. He works very hard at all aspects of the game, particularly set-pieces. His man management with the boys is also very good.

“In recent years Scotland has had some decent teams at this level but there are high hopes for the current group. The results we have had and the fact we have only conceded one goal highlights how well we are doing.

“The finals are in May in Croatia so it is something for me to look forward to. It is a place I have never been to so I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully I’ll get some sun as well!”

As well as the national side, the Aberdeen U17s are in for an exciting end to the season as they push for a league title. The Youth League, which sees the winners take part in the UEFA Youth League next season, could still be won by the Dons, Rangers, Hamilton Accies or Celtic. Last Sunday, the Dons drew 3-3 with Rangers. Seb was among the scorers while Jevan Anderson scored a dramatic late equaliser. Their remaining fixtures see Scott Anderson’s side face St Mirren and Kilmarnock and then they have rearranged games against Celtic, Hearts and Ayr United to fit in before the season's end. Celtic, Hamilton and Rangers also all still have to play each other.

“We were flying at the start of the season and have been consistent throughout. The confidence is very high amongst the squad. It is going to be very close and I think we will need to win all our remaining games and then just see what happens with the other teams around us. Celtic have games in hand but still have to play Hamilton, Rangers and ourselves.

“The coaches are manging our time between the U17s and the U20s but we are definitely going for the league. Whatever happens, the main thing is that there are some very talented players coming through the youth academy.”