Dons defender Lewis Mayo was the player that spoke with the media on Monday morning ahead of our game against Kelty Hearts in the Premier Sports Cup.
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Settling in
"I'm really enjoying it. It’s been very busy between returning here, being away in pre-season and the cup games. I feel like it’s been full on, but I’m really enjoying it. It’s a good group to be a part of. "There are a lot of new faces and a lot of boys in the same boat, trying to learn who each other are and get to know everyone at the club. I think the benefit of being away is that you gel quicker, and even with the games we’ve had, that kind of forces it as well. I think the group’s come together well.
"It’s a fresh start for me. I think the ambition of the club and the way the club wants to work and move forward gives everyone a lot to be excited about. "At this point in my career, I’ve already got good experience in this league. It’s a step up in expectation and pressure, but that’s something I’m excited for. "I spoke with Matty Kennedy. I was really close with him at Kilmarnock. We drove in every morning together and he was a good person to ask about the people at the club and what the club is like. He spoke so highly of his time here."
Working towards Europe
"I think there’s an understanding that last season the club fell below the expectations and standards here. "First and foremost, we need to finish higher in the table. Everyone here knows that. With the structure of the league and the way the split works, we need to keep ourselves on track for the top six. If we do that and we’re in the top six come the split, then we can start looking at the European spots after that.
"I’m lucky that I had that experience at Kilmarnock and it’s something that’s really worth working towards. Walking out in those European fixtures, what it gives the fans and what it means to the fans – that’s got to be our ambition."
Being seeded
"You have to take every advantage you can get going into the next round. Saturday is another opportunity for us to work towards that. If we can make ourselves one of the seeded teams then, of course, it’s an advantage. "I think that’s the benefit of these cup games – you play competitive football earlier on. That’s three wins on the bounce for us now and hopefully we can make it four tomorrow. "Hopefully we can go into the league campaign next week with four competitive wins and everyone feeling good about themselves."
Playing at right-back
"I’ve played there plenty of times before. Over the last few years I’ve been used all across the back four and in a back three, so it’s something I’ve done plenty of times before. "Centre-back maybe comes more naturally, but as I say, I’ve got plenty of experience playing there if I need to."
