In RedMatchday Issue 08 the player interview is with Dons keeper Danny Ward:
Once a Red, always a Red. Be it Liverpool or Aberdeen, red is definitely the colour for shot stopper extraordinaire Danny Ward, a young goalkeeper who has taken Pittodrie so conclusively by storm this season that he already has his own terrace chant.
That in itself is a rare accolade, one given to few and only that usually only after a few years of yeoman service. Danny Cool took about three games to get there. It’s an appropriate song too given the composure and icy calm that he brings to his performances with the Dons. That combination of attitude, temperament and ability makes it seem a sure thing that Danny will go on to play at the very highest levels of the game, so enjoy him while you can.
Ward is clearly enjoying life in Scotland and especially the rapport he has built up with the supporters.
“It is nice that I seem to have this connection with the fans. I really appreciate their support, especially as I have only been here for a short period of time. The song is one of those that you can’t get out of your head! You go to bed signing it when you are trying to get to sleep!
“The first time I heard the tune was when we were in Croatia playing Rijeka. I think it was when the third goal went in, I was thinking “I know the tune to that song” but I couldn’t quite place it. I didn’t realise they were singing my name, I could not hear that. Afterwards, one of the boys spoke to me about it and told me it was
“Daddy Cool”. It’s great to hear, it’s a nice confidence booster.
“The game in Croatia that night would probably rank up there as one of my favourite games. We went into it with most people not giving us much of a chance, especially after our performance in the round before and the fact that they had such a formidable European home record. It was just the perfect away performance, we were superb on the counter-attack. We scored goals at crucial times, Kenny got his first goal for the club and the lads in defence were superb. Everyone played well, despite the fact it was so hot”.
The Dons’ good start to the new campaign has been built on extremely sound defensive foundations, Danny playing a big part in that. Nonetheless, he’s quick to pass on the credit.
“Everyone in the team knows what their defensive duties are. We are very well drilled. The manager knows the way he wants us to defend and the lads have really taken to it. They all understand what he wants us to do. We understand there has to be that desire to get on the end of the ball when it is in your box. It has been a good start for us defensively and hopefully we can carry that through now until the end of the season.
“Ash has done very well, it’s been interesting to see because I knew him before he came here. He has come on leaps and bounds. He was always a good player but there is a real maturity about Ash now. He knows what he wants to do on the pitch and he is a commanding figure. He is a big player for us. If he carries on the way he is going then people at international level will be unable to ignore him”.
One thread that comes out in these player interviews down the years is that plenty of them only found their eventual position after years of trial and error. In Danny’s case, it was a little bit different…
“I got put in goal as a six year old. There was one day in training when I got a bit excited and injured everyone! We did not have a team because I had injured everyone by accident. I was a big, gangly six-year-old, throwing my arms everywhere. So for the safety of my teammates, the manager asked my dad if it was ok for them to give me a go in goal and I have been there ever since. That decision was a blessing in disguise and I will always be grateful to the manager of my school team for making it!”
This week’s former players interview by Sean Graham is with Doug Rougvie:
Do you remember much about your debut? My debut for AFC was as a sub in Tehran on the world tour of 1974 from the beginning of May to the middle of June, after which I played most games on that tour.
You had only been at Pittodrie a few years when you had already seen a few changes in management. Jimmy Bonthrone, Ally MacLeod, Billy McNeill and Alex Ferguson, all very different characters, what did you think of them? Jimmy Bonthrone was tactically ahead of his time at AFC but was too nice a character. Ally MacLeod was a good motivator for the team. Billy McNeill, he had the full package, tactical awareness, great motivator and a true gentleman. Fergie was the best ever.
Playing in a European final is every young boy’s dream but to play against the mighty Real Madrid and beat them, must have been something else? Yeah, we were in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final but at that moment in time we felt that this was normal for the club and the team considering the class of players we had and the potential match winners we had at our disposal. Ferguson said to us that we were going to win and we all bought into it.
How did you get yourself motivated, especially for those big matches? We were always up for the big games, we knew we were a good team and we had match winners within the squad and even if we were rubbish (which did happen sometimes, believe it or not) we still believed that we would get a result.
RedMatchday Magazine is priced at £3.00 and is available from the sellers in and around the ground before the game as well the AFC Club shop. For anyone who can't make it along to Pittodrie on Tuesday you can buy a copy of RedMatchday online please click here
