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This weeks redmatchday magazine…

MAIN FEATURE | Mark Reynolds

He might not get changed in a phone box, but Mark Reynolds is Aberdeen’s man of steel.

Born in Motherwell, in the shadow of Ravenscraig, once the steel production capital of Scotland, you’ll find that steel at the core of Mark Reynolds’ character. After all, he’s played every minute of every game so far this season for the Dons. Not that that statistic carries much weight with some in the dressing room.

… “As Willo Flood keeps telling me, “It’s not how many minutes you play, it is how good you are for those minutes!” So you don’t get any credit here for being an ever present, you still need to put in the performances to guarantee you are going to be playing. I have been lucky throughout my career with injuries. I have already managed to play two full seasons where I have played every minute of every game and hopefully, this could be the third”.

… All of which is a far cry from a childhood where Mark was left sidelined for a full 12 months – not just from football, but from virtually any kind of physical activity.

… “People are always looking for a secret formula when it comes to my injury record, but there isn’t one, though luck does play a part too with contact injuries etc. A good diet is important, eating the right things, but the biggest thing when I was younger was sleep.

… “As an athlete, your body is the tool of your trade, so I do enjoy learning about how it works and that knowledge also helps avoid injuries.

… “In terms of the body and the way it relates to football, I think there is still a lot we can still learn and there are maybe some things we can learn from other sports. But football is completely different to any other sport that is played. There is no game that is played for 90 minutes at such a high intensity. Footballers are trained to peak every seven days. It is brutal at times.

… “Fitness is something that can always be at a very high level on a Saturday even if other parts of my game are having an off day. I can always have a physical presence on the pitch. Regardless of performance or how good or bad a team is or who is on form, you should never go out for a 90 minutes and be outworked or outfought. That is something you can always control.

Given Mark’s fascination with the physical side of football, you’ll not be surprised to learn that he welcomes the arrival of sports scientist Graham Kirk at the football club.

… “His appointment at the club is very significant. I think it has been very evident in a number of games this season we have looked stronger and fitter than other teams, especially during the final 15 minutes or so.

… “His sessions are enjoyable. When you feel it is getting too tough or we are doing too much, he pulls it back straight away, you don’t even need to say anything to him, he already knows. There have been times in the past in my career where coaches would go on too long or in some cases not do enough and are simply not on the same wavelength as the players. Since Graham has come in he has been brilliant.

.. “I have never worked with a manager before that pays so much attention to every little detail. Every manager is different but the gaffer is of the school that believes that everything that can possibly be done, should be done in preparation for a game of football. I share that opinion. AFC FORMER PLAYERS FEATURE | David Robertson

As cup fever continues to grip Pittodrie, this week, Sean Graham catches up with a former Don who carried off both cups with the Dons, full-back David Robertson. David collected a League Cup winner’s medal in 1989 as Aberdeen defeated Rangers and then slotted in a penalty in the epic shootout that went Aberdeen’s way as Celtic were beaten in the Scottish Cup Final the following year.

“Doing that double was a great achievement particularly after the previous two defeats to Rangers in the two finals. We had so much determination but I think Eoin Jess’ inclusion in the game threw Rangers a bit as I don’t think they were expecting a new face. He caused a lot of problems for Rangers, which allowed Paul Mason and Charlie Nicholas to run the show. I remember taking a long throw which resulted in Paul’s winner. It was a great feeling to win my first trophy as a footballer. The best part was the open top bus going down Union Street. I used to stand and watch Aberdeen teams of the past there!

“The following year, it was Celtic in the Scottish Cup Final. I remember taking a heavy knock from Mike Galloway which meant I struggled to finish the game. When it came to penalties, I thought my job was finished, so I stood around and my thigh seized up. I couldn’t believe it when it kept on going. Eventually it came to me and I could hardly move, I remember the commentator saying I took a one step run up! It wasn’t planned, it was all I could do, but sometimes luck is on your side. As I hit the penalty aiming for Pat Bonner’s right, I didn’t catch it properly. It went straight – just as well as Pat Bonner dived to his right!” YOUNG DONS FEATURE | Michael Kelly

The mental toughness that you need to be a professional sportsman has again been in the spotlight recently. You can have all the ability in the world but without that mental strength, it is hard to make it to the top of any sport and stay there.

That strength is tested in many of our youngest players who come to Pittodrie from the Glasgow Centre or from further afield as they have to leave home at a very young age. One such player is Michael Kelly who is in his first year as a full time professional but the Scotland U17 star has already impressed everyone at Pittodrie with his ability and his maturity.

“The hardest thing about being a young professional footballer is the fact you have to move away from home. I was only 15 at the time when I moved but it’s something you just have to deal with. I wanted to be a professional footballer, therefore I needed to move. It is important you have the correct attitude. You just have to enjoy it.

“The best thing about being a professional footballer is coming in to train every day. It is something very few people get the chance to do and I realise how fortunate I am.” AFC Sticker Collection

redmatchday is still giving away free stickers to collect and to put on your squad wallchart! The first eight stickers were in the Dundee United programme and there were a further eight in the Partick programme and four in the Hearts issue. There will be four stickers in your  St Mirren programme. The wallchart was on sale at the Viking game. You can still get one from the AFC Club Shop and also online at the Curtis Sport website – www.curtis-sport.com

Also if you missed any programmes, you can buy them here, plus any other programmes you have missed throughout the season.

Also in this weeks

: Richard Gordon, Derek McInnes, Chris Crighton, Ally Begg, Russell Anderson, Q&A with Scott Vernon and John Mellis. Plus all the usual features and indepth historical content.

 redmatchday magazine is on sale from in and around the ground on Saturday and is also available from the Pittodrie Club shop still priced at £3.

You can pre-order a copy and have it delivered to your door – Visit www.curtis-sport.com and order your copy now or click here