In the final RedMatchday of the season, Issue 25 is a tribute to one of our greatest ever players who will be playing his final ever game for the Dons.
There is a special interview with Russell Anderson:
“Every player finds it difficult to call it a day. If you could play forever, you would. But I am comfortable with my decision as every player has to stop eventually. The only disappointment is that it is a good team to be part of at the moment. Things are going really well and I would have liked to have continued being a part of it, but deep down I know it is the right decision.
“I will miss the day to day training and I will miss the big games. There is no getting away from that. I will miss the games against the Old Firm and the European games which we have now had a taste of. Hopefully the European nights will become a regular occurrence at Pittodrie.
“I have no regrets. I don’t think in life you can have any time for regrets. If I had stayed at Aberdeen or gone somewhere else, it does not matter. That was the path that I decided to take.
“Obviously, the League Cup final is the top of my list. It was a very special moment, especially to have my two boys alongside me when I lifted the trophy. But I would also have to pick the Motherwell away game from that cup run when we won 2-0 as something special. It really was a backs to the wall performance and I think that night, coming back up the road on the bus, we genuinely believed we could do something. You sometimes need a performance and a result like that. Although you always say you can win a trophy, you sometimes need a game like that to really believe it.”
Derek McInnes Russell epitomises what a captain should be. Anything that had to be dealt with, he came and saw me straight away. We have a good relationship and I think it’s important the manager, staff and captain have that. He’s got the respect of everybody here because of the way he works. He’s always been someone who takes full responsibility for his role. He’s every inch what a good captain should be.
Chris Crighton Sunday is the last occasion on which we will see the superlative Russell Anderson marshaling his troops in the red and white of Aberdeen, and if he has a lump in his throat, he will not be alone. Though his move from dressing room to back office means that it is not entirely goodbye, it closes the book on the finest Aberdeen defender of his generation and a player whose skills merit mention alongside the very best to have represented this great club in its 112 years of existence. Put simply, Russell Anderson is an Aberdeen legend.
Andrew Shinie Sunday we bid farewell to Russell Anderson. Others elsewhere in this programme will have written far more eloquently about Russell, so I’m just going to say goodbye to my old friend the player with heartfelt thanks for all you have done both on and off the park for your beloved Dons and welcome to the latest addition to the Red TV soccer crew!
Richard Gordon It was good to learn that Russell won’t be leaving Pittodrie, and I’m sure his reputation and standing in the community will be an important factor for the club as he progresses in his new job. Quite apart from having been an important player over the years, Russ is one of the good guys, and I’d like to offer him personal and heart-felt best wishes for the future.
RedMatchday Issue 25 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
Limited Edition RedMatchday 25 | for information please click here
Limited Edition RedMatchday 25 | for information please click here
