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James Comes Home

03 July 2019
Author Malcolm Panton (Red Matchday Editor)

 

James Wilson returned to AFC this evening.

The forward, who has represented his country at every youth age group, scored a goal and had two assists in the final two games of the 2018/19 campaign to help the team to wins over both Edinburgh sides and is determined to build on that form in an environment he clearly enjoys.

“The place has not changed much since the month or two I have been away!

“I am delighted to come back and I am ready to get started again.

“Since the game at Easter Road I have not been up to much. I have kept myself fit but also enjoyed a bit of down time. I had to get my head round where I was going to be. I made the decision to come to Aberdeen for the next few years and I am delighted to be here.

“The main reason for coming back was how the players are brought into the changing room. It is a great place to be and the group of players are brilliant.

“I also really enjoy working with all the staff and the coaching staff and everyone behind the scenes at the club. I really don’t have a bad word to say about the place and that is why I am back here and why I turned down the other offers.

“It was an easy decision to make based on the memories I have made already.

“Being happy is very important to me.

“There is a lot of money in football these days and sometimes it can be the deciding factor in some cases, but for me, at this point, a big thing was about being content and happy and comfortable.

“I am ready to work for the team that I have been integrated into and I am really looking forward to getting going.

“Of the new signings, Craig Bryson I have come across at Derby. I think I was there for about two months before I got injured and my loan spell was cut short. He is a nice lad and I am looking forward to meeting the new boys as well as my old teammates from last year.

“Looking towards the end of last season, I felt that I played quite well and got into the team and played 90 minutes, something I have not really done for the past few years. I was beginning to get quite confident in myself to know that I can do those jobs, and even on the wing as well.

“The memories I was talking about were fresh from the end of the season, but throughout the year it has been a learning curve for me. This is somewhere I can build on, especially from the back end of last season. I am hoping to just kick on from there.

“The Hamilton goal from early on in the campaign was one of my better ones! It was a good strike and again memories to build on. It is goal at the end of my career that I will look back on as a good one. Hopefully there are a few more like that to come this season!

“The manager and I have spoken quite a bit over the last few weeks and before the end of the season as well and he said he would be keen to get me back. That was nice because at that time I had not received any other offers. It was good to have an offer there straight away which highlighted how keen he was to get me in. It made me feel important and part of his plans going forward.

“It is great to finally sign on the dotted line.

“It is settling for me. The last few years, it has been a bit up in the air as to where I would be, and I have been on loan for three of the last four years. It is nice to settle down and I am going to be in a squad where I have got a chance of playing and doing well and where I am able to express myself on and off the pitch.

“I am really looking forward to that.

“European football was an attraction. We worked so hard last year to get there. Sometimes for loan players it is a bit different as you don’t really buy into it. But with me coming to the end of my contract at Manchester United, I bought fully into it. I wanted to do well in the Scottish League so we could get into the Europa League. Again, looking to build on that and hope to be involved.

“My aims for the year ahead, it would be good to get my hands on some silverware and a medal. The expectations within the club is to do well in the cup competitions. We want to get to a final again and this time go one stage further and win something. We will work towards that as well as hopefully doing well in the league.

“We are happy with the squad that we have got and I feel it is going to be a good season.”

 

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