In RedMatchday Issue 19 this week there are interviews with the Dons two new defenders:
DONERVORN DANIELS
“I signed for Reading and I was with them until I was 16. Albion then made an enquiry and Reading agreed that I could go to The Hawthorns at U16 level and I have been there since. When I was a first year scholar, there was talk of some clubs like Manchester United being interested in me and when you are a young kid and you get linked to clubs, you feel like you have made it. I’m sure a lot of young players can relate to that. But the truth is, you’ve done nothing. Luckily, I have always had good representation from people who can guide me and help me make the right decisions and that decision was to stay at West Brom.
“I feel my career has developed by going out on loan. My first experience was at Tranmere when I was only 18. I met Ash Taylor there, he was also a young centre-half. Ash and I played very well together. We were top of League One. I think I played 14 games for them and it’s an experience I will never forget. It ended on a sour note because West Brom called me back because I was not playing towards the end of the spell, but that was my baptism of fire when I was playing league football. I loved every minute of it. Since then, I’ve just wanted to play, progress and improve.
“It is the hardest thing, having to adapt. My first loan experience taught me so much and I will always refer back to it whenever I am talking about the experiences I have had. I was playing reserve football and then I go and play for a team at the top of League One. I thought it was going to be a walk in the park. First of all I got thrown in and I was up against a striker that wanted to kick every single limb off me. You suddenly think, what am I doing?! Is this what football is? You grow up watching this pretty sport on TV with all the Premiership stars and you think the game looks easy. Then suddenly, boom! It is the hardest thing if you are not mentally strong. I have had to bring these things into my life to allow me to take in my stride and not allow anything to affect me.
“Mental strength, confidence and concentration three of the most important things you need as a footballer, particularly as a defender. I have always found it quite interesting that there are a lot of top centre halves but they are all so different.
“At the Albion, Darren Moore is my mentor and I love him to bits. He is a development coach at the club, he works a lot with the under 21s. He has helped me grow and improve as young player. He will sit down and talk to me man to man. When this move first came about, I went straight to him. He told me Derek McInnes is fantastic because he knew him from the Albion, when Derek was his captain there. Darren said, “You will want to play for him, you will want to give everything you have” and that has certainly rung true.
LUKAS CULJAK “Aberdeen is a really nice place. Everyone is very friendly. This is a wonderful football club and perfect for me. I am enjoying playing football here. Before I arrived I knew very little about Aberdeen or even Scotland. I had never been to this country before. Despite that it was not a difficult decision for me to come here. It was a great opportunity. I have a contract to the end of the season but hopefully I can stay here longer. I like the club and the city. The coaches have been very good to me as well as my team mates.
“I grew up in Stuttgart and started my career there. I played for five years before moving to Karlsruhe for one year and then joined Bayern Munich for two seasons. I am a Bayern Munich fan and they are one of the biggest clubs in the world, so that was an incredible experience.
“We used to get hundreds of people turning up just to watch the training sessions. Even when I used to be out in the city with my friends, people would recognise me as a Bayern player and would come up and speak with me. That was unbelievable.
“Bayern was only a little step in my career but being part of such a big organisation taught me a lot. They are an extremely well run club, all the staff were great, the coaching was at a very high level and the training facilities were very good.
RedMatchday Issue 19 is available from the programme sellers in and around the ground. It will be on sale from the AFC Club Shop and you can also buy a copy online by clicking here
