SAM ROSCOE

The Aberdeen Development squad are currently in Alicante, Spain. Paul Sheerin side are on an Erasmus+ funded pre-season trip. We caught up with central defender Sam Roscoe, currently beginning his third season as a full time professional at Pittodrie.

 

“We are very fortunate to be able to come on a trip like this. Everyone was really looking forward to getting away. It is very warm out here, so the running will be a bit different, but it is nice to get a change of scenery and the facilities are very good.

“We are also looking forward to getting a few games to break up the training a bit.

“I believe we are playing against Southend United in one of our games. A big team in England. It will be very tough game! It will be a good test, especially as we have a less experienced team over here than we did last year during pre-season. It is a chance for the new boys to show what they have got.

“But that is where we want to be, we want to be playing first team football against these players week in week out so when you get chances like this you have to show that you have the capabilities to deal with it. You know your performances will get monitored and will be reported back to the management team, so it is a big opportunity to impress even although it is only a pre-season friendly.

“It will also set us in good stead for the IRN-BRU Cup game against Raith Rovers. Last year we played Inverness CT and they went on and won the competition. The game was a real education for us. We gave them a little bit too much respect at first but when we started playing our own game we did quite well. We had a really good spell in the second half and caused Inverness some problems.

“It should not have done, but it took the first half to realise that they are just another football team with eleven players. Once we realised that we did well, we played our own game and probably out passed them in the second half. We battled well and held our own. So that was an important learning curve.

“Scott McKenna played in central defence last season at this stage of the competition because I was suspended after being sent off in the competition in the previous season.

So I can say Scott took my place!

“I played quite a lot of games alongside him the year before. What has happened to him, it just goes to show that at this club if you are good enough you will get your chance. The important thing is taking that chance. Hopefully if it comes to any of our boys this season then they are going to do the same.

“We all know the abilities that Dean has and he was able to go out at Celtic Park and show everyone what he is about. He helped shore things up a bit. He did not look out of place at all. He had some good touches. I know being a big Aberdeen fan just how much it meant to him getting the win. I am sure he will get more opportunities with the first team this year.”

Aprendiendo Español

“Before flying over we had three Spanish lessons. So we have manged to pick up a few basic words! We also were given a background to the region we are going to and the country, plus the history of Spanish football which was really interesting. We were told about the origins of the clubs.”

Aims of the trip

“Once the two weeks is over you should have your base fitness. The games are then all about getting up to match sharpness. It is always different because you can do as much running as you want but if you are not match fit then it is difficult. We all know what the first game of pre-season can be like. I am sure there will be a few more friendly games at home before we start the competitive stuff.

“We had a fitness programme to do over the summer. I think we had about eight days off, eight days of freedom and then we were straight back to it. We had gym work and conditioning work to do during the break, so we did about four weeks of that. Everyone has come back in in a decent enough shape for pre-season and this trip is about building up our fitness so when the games do come around we are all flying.

“The past few years I have here there have only been three or four young boys each year who have made the step up to the Academy but this year there is double that. They all seem to have settled in well. Obviously we will see them start to come out of their shells a bit more in the weeks ahead and I am sure this trip will help them do that. We will all get to know each other a bit better.

“Although most of them have been in and around the squad before, it is still quite a change being a full time professional from coming in a couple of days a week. You start to understand just how much goes on. The jobs we have to do is a big thing. It is about discipline and making sure you do your jobs properly. The advantage of taking so many boys from the Academy, they understand what is expected of you at this club. They will understand the standards at this club. They will have had that drilled into them at a young age.”

The New Reserve League

“I don’t actually think it will be too different.

“There were certain teams last season who played five or six over age players. Others though played very young teams so there was quite a difference from week to week and you never really knew what you would be coming up against. So we will come up against more experienced teams more often but as I am now 20 years of age, it is what I am wanting. I want to play against more experienced players week in week out. It will give me a different challenge. Even if the result does not go your way, playing against more experienced players will ultimately make you a better player.

“Young teams will come out and press you high but experienced players know the game. They know when to make runs, they know what positions to take up. They can read the game better. You learn so much every time you play with and play against these players.

“We have to build again this season. Last year we just fell short in the league, we had a couple of results towards the end of the season which did not go in our favour. The SFA Youth Cup final was difficult to take at the time, but you have to learn from it. We will all come back this season better and strong from that experience. We know what is expected of us this year and I think everyone in the dressing room agrees that we need to work hard and push on. We cannot just settle on what we did last season. We want to go one better this year.

“We have had time to reflect on the cup final defeat. At times we were nervous in the game. After going ahead, we maybe should have done better to see the game out till half time and then regroup.

“You need to play in these games to learn, big games in big stadiums. There is no way of being able to recreate walking out at Hampden. It is about learning and gaining that experience. Next time we would have a better idea of what we need to do. We need to play our own game instead of focussing on the occasion. I think to start with some of the boys were taken back a bit by the occasion. We know we have good players but some of the guys on the day struggled with the fact it was such a big game, but it happens. You learn from it.”

Burnley

“My family home is about 45 minutes away from Burnley. They were in our U18s league so I have played against them a few times at that level. I have been to Turf Moor, I went on a stadium tour once! I know a few of the boys that play in their Youth Side, it is an U23 league down there. I am not sure if they will be involved in the game.

“Their first team were flying last season. They have a lot of good technical players. Sean Dyche has done a very good job there. You never hear any negative stories about him. He is well liked by his players.

“To do well in Europe you have to beat the best teams and looking at the draw Burnley are probably one of the best teams we could have drawn at this stage of the competition. I think it will be a good test. Hopefully we can get a good result here to take to Turf Moor and then get an even better result down there.”