Aberdeen’s fantastic run at the end of 2014 was recognised this week by the Scottish Football Writers Association as they awarded Derek McInnes the SPFL Premiership Manager of the Month Award for December while Ryan Jack was selected as the SPFL Player of the Month for December.
Derek told REDTV: “It is always a reflection of how well the team have done when you get individual awards through the players or myself. We had a very good month and I am delighted what the players gave me during December especially with so many fixtures. It always nice to get these awards but it is only an award and we know we have to keep working really hard if we are to have a good January as well. “I think several of my players could have been considered for the player award.
“Ryan was chosen and whoever chose him has made a good decision because he has been very consistent and produced a very high level of performance along with a number of his team mates.
“Ryan is a player who does not get a lot of recognition out with Pittodrie but Ryan is ok with that. He is quite unassuming and just goes about his job. People who know football fully appreciate the role he does for me.”
Ryan told RedMatchday: “This is the first individual award I have won. I was delighted when the manager pulled me into the office to tell me the news. I was a bit shocked to be honest as I never knew I was even in the running for it. It was a great feeling, being recognised for doing well and it was also very flattering.
“I must obviously give credit to my team mates as well. It is a team game and without the team doing so well it would be harder to pick up individual awards.
“The main aim for me this season was to remain injury free. I did pick up a slight injury earlier in the season but thankfully I did not miss too many games. The more games I play then I can get on a good run and be more consistent. That is my main aim, just to be playing every week and to try and play consistently well.
“The last couple of seasons I have had a four week injury or a five week injury or a six week injury and it really does set you back. You have to go through all the rehab and then try and get up to match fitness and it then probably takes a few games to get back to your top form. When you are on a run of games as I am now, I am feeling as good as at any stage during my career and that helps the consistency in my performances.
“It is brilliant to be playing in this team at the moment and it is great everyone has got that confidence as well. It of course makes the game so much easier when everyone is on from, everyone has the same mind-set and everyone is on the same wavelength. We can also rely on each other. We rely on the defenders to have a clean sheet and the defence reply on the forward thinking players to go and create and score goals.
“The balance we have in the team at the moment is a real bonus.”
“So many of the players are playing well I am sure most of the team would have been up for winning it. We are all on top of our game at the minute. We all want to show that consistency as a team and we just want to keep going, keep the moment going.”
“So many of the players are playing well I am sure most of the team would have been up for winning it. We are all on top of our game at the minute. We all want to show that consistency as a team and we just want to keep going, keep the moment going.”
