It’s no secret that, after the turn of the year in particular, the Dons had their struggles in front of goal last season. As a consequence, sorting out the striking positions was a fundamental part of the work that went on behind the scenes over the summer months.

Part of the solution comes in the form of Christian Ramirez, Aberdeen’s new number 9, a 30 year old Californian, a United States international and a man most decidedly on a mission when it comes to the season ahead. Brought to the Granite City from the slightly warmer environment of Houston Dynamo, have no fear that the winters are going to be too cold for him. He’s played a large chunk of his career at Minnesota United, which might be even chillier than the Beach End in January.

Ramirez has already thrown himself into his work at the club, as you might expect from somebody who didn’t really have to think twice when the chance to join Aberdeen came through.

“I didn’t think that an opportunity like this one, to come and play with a big club in a big European league would come my way in my career now. I was in the final seven months of my contract at Houston Dynamo and when my agent brought me this opportunity, it felt surreal! My aunt, who passed away two years ago, always said that I would someday play in Europe, so it felt like a calling I guess, I knew I needed to chase it up.

“We discussed the move as a family, they were very supportive of my desire to come here and were excited about living here and making it home. I throw myself all in into new things so I want to dive into the culture here, learn about the city, learn about the club. It makes you feel better, makes you feel a part of things. My family is arriving this week which will be great and before they arrive, I’ve been trying to tick things off my checklist that need doing – car, house, bank account!

“Speaking to the staff about the project they are presenting here, the direction that the club is going in, it was something that I really wanted to be a part of. I’m really excited to be playing for a club with such great tradition and history and I want to immerse myself in that and hopefully add to that history too.

“There were rumours last year of Stephen wanting to sign me and I know Allan from back in California – I actually played against him in the final year that he played. I’ve trained with him when he started his superior striker programme, we have a good relationship. I’ve also played with a couple of Scottish guys in the past and I asked them about Aberdeen and what they think of the club and I heard nothing but good things – except maybe about the weather!

“Stephen made it very clear how keen he was to get me to come here and that gives me a lot of confidence. It’s something that I was searching for, to have that belief in me from a manager and his staff. It’s all you can ask for as a player and it gives you that freedom to play how you know you can. In my conversations with him, they’ve made it clear that they want me to play the way I always do and that will be what the team needs.

“It’s been a great start and I’ve enjoyed trying to settle in, though the facemasks around the building make it tougher to get to know people! You get outside and you’re trying to piece together who is who, put faces to the numbers on the kit! Everyone has been very welcoming and I’ve been struck by how good a bond everyone has here.”

The number nine shirt at any club comes with responsibility but especially at a place like Aberdeen. It’s a pressure Ramirez clearly relishes.

“When the manager told me he wanted me to wear the number nine, I took that as a privilege and a vote of confidence from him to me. I hope to give the fans plenty of joy while I’m wearing it. I’ve had a good relationship with the fans wherever I’ve gone, so I hope that the same thing can happen here. I’ve been watching videos of how loud the stadium gets, so I can’t wait to meet the supporters, to get out onto the pitch and start playing for them.

“I’m a positive person, I like to have my input and I’m always willing to listen, not just to the coaches but to the players around me and to understand what it is they want from me on the field. I play as a number nine. Growing up, I played centre midfield, but I always found myself in the box somehow, getting on the end of balls coming in. I had a nose for goal so they threw me up top and told me to stop worrying about the other end of the field! I like to combine with my team mates, I’m a good passer, I work hard defensively and I look to position myself properly to make the job easier for the guys behind me.

“It’s important that I lead the line up top, both offensively and defensively. Playing off the shoulder of the centre-half is important, getting into good spaces to create and score goals. I think I have a decent hold up game and I’ve scored goals wherever I’ve gone, given an opportunity. A goal is a goal, whether I’m tapping it in from a yard out or shooting from outside the box. I’ve scored some ugly ones and some pretty ones. They all count the same!

“Playing with Jet, we are both trying to play free and play off each other, not worrying about taking up specific positions but being alive to what’s happening in the moment. If one of us is always occupying defenders, it’ll make life easier for the other. The presence we have up front will be a good dynamic for the team.

“Things have been building progressively in training since I arrived, in terms of fitness and in terms of the way we are playing, so I’m sure we will be ready for the test tonight. I came here from mid-season, even though I wasn’t playing as many games as I’d have liked, so I feel good, I’ve got rid of the jet lag, I’ve got used to the workload in training, so I’m feeling confident.”

If ever this American abroad was in need of advice on what the Scottish game might be ready to throw at him, he couldn’t find a better source than Scott Brown, who has clearly made an impression on Christian.

“I didn’t know what to expect from Scott when I got here. I’ve seen lots of video of him, and seen how intense he is, but off the field, he likes to enjoy himself, he’s joking around with the guys. On the training pitch, he’s everything you would expect from somebody who has had the career he has. I wish you could see the warm ups! He just takes off on the run and he’s 20 yards in front of people before anyone else is moving!

“I think maybe having been at Celtic so long, coming somewhere new, for a fresh challenge, I think that will be good for him. He sets the standard from the start of training, he’s a leader and he’ll do great things for us. I’ll definitely be picking his brain about this league, the opposition teams, because he’s seen it all. It’s great to have somebody like that in the squad.”

And so the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the start of a new season and a new era – and with fans in the stadium to boot. How does Christian see tonight’s game infolding?

“We’ve watched BK Häcken, we know they have scored a lot of goals lately on the counter, so that’s something we need to be prepared for and be careful not to lose the ball in bad situations. We are at home, we need to impose ourselves on the game, especially with fans in the stadium, which will be great – I had enough of empty stadiums last year! Back in the States, most stadia are now more than half full, so it’s good to see we’re on the right track here too.

“It’ll be nice to start to build relationships with the fans and hopefully we can do that tonight with the right result and some goals. The more we understand each other, the better the relationship gets. I know the supporters work hard to earn the money to buy the tickets because when I was a kid, my dad couldn’t afford to take me to LA Galaxy games, so I see what a sacrifice people make to come here. If they do that, then we have to give them everything we can to make it worthwhile for them.”