Jamie Langfield left Pittodrie on Tuesday afternoon. During his Aberdeen career he seen it all, on and off the field, living through enough trials and tribulations, highs and lows to fill a book. Few players during their careers at Pittodrie have had to contend with the challenges that have beset Jamie, but each time, from whatever direction it has come, he has beaten it. All through that time, his absolute commitment, loyalty love for Aberdeen FC never wavered.
For his testimonial match he sat down and spoke to the RedMatchday Programme Editor. This is his story ……
JAMIE LANGFIELD Jamie Langfield was part of the Pittodrie furniture for a decade, he has been a stalwart of the Scottish game ever since he made his debut for Dundee, on this very ground ironically enough, back in October 1998. With very nearly 400 club appearances to his name, a Scottish B cap, a place in several full national squads and a League Cup winner’s medal to boot, Langfield has been at the heart of the game through quickly changing times.
Jamie is a man who has enjoyed, sometimes endured, a colourful career. He has long been a reassuring figure between the sticks – we will come onto that SPFL clean sheet record later if you need any further convincing – but life could have been very different. If things had taken another course, we might have been gathering here today to pay homage to a left-back…
“It’s true, when I started playing football, I was actually a left back! I played that position up until I was about 12 or 13 and I was never interested in being a goalkeeper. But around that age, I shot up and became one of the tallest boys in the school, so then there was only one position for me to play and I was put in goal. I always thought I was a better outfield player but obviously I wasn’t!
“I was lucky because goalkeeping was something that just came naturally to me, I didn’t have much adapting to do. Off the pitch I was quite quiet, but on the football field I was a bit crazy anyway so I didn’t mind chucking myself about!
“When I was younger I was training every day from Monday through to Friday and I was at Dundee United, Hearts, Rangers and Celtic. I really enjoyed being a goalkeeper, but then I gave football up when I turned 15. It all had become too much. I just could not be bothered with it and would rather hang about with my mates back home in Paisley.
“Then my boys club, Glasgow City, were looking for a goalkeeper for a game and I came back and played. I must have done ok as Dundee straight away offered me a contract and the chance to sign an S form. It was a big moment, a big decision. Do I stay in Paisley and maybe land up doing nothing with my life or do I take a chance?” I decided to go to Dundee and thankfully, it paid off”.
Football in the mid 1990s was a very different game to the one we know now. This was an age before sports science had taken a grip, before television had made such a massive impact on the national game. From today’s perspective, it seems pretty antiquated, despite being just 20 years ago.
“I remember my first pre-season. You did not see the ball for two weeks! There was none of this GPS or heart monitors, it was literally a case of running until you were sick. Around 1996, I initially had Jim Duffy as my coach, then I had John McCormack and then Jocky Scott for two seasons. They were of the old school variety and there’s not a lot wrong in that to be honest, it has a lot going for it.
“Dundee was a great club to be at, it was brilliant for my footballing education. Being there hardened me as a player and as a man. Back in the day, the older players got away with a lot more in the way they treated the young boys than they would today, just getting them to do jobs and things. But it made you tougher, it was a good education in life as well as football.
“It’s interesting to compare being a youth player at Dundee 20 years ago to our boys at Aberdeen now. They are so well looked after. I would never even open my mouth to a first team player. You would never walk straight into the first team dressing room. You would have to knock and wait. Sometimes they would leave you standing there for half an hour!
“I remember when I was 19 or 20, I had played a few games in the first team and I was number two to Robert Douglas. Even though I had played for the first team, he would still make me run a bath for him and he would still make me go up to the shops to get his juice! But it was something you just did without even thinking about it, because you had so much respect for these players. Being brought up at a football club that way also made you have respect for everyone in game. We live in a different world now and society is different, all in such a short time”.
Dundee changed very rapidly too, embracing foreign talent with an enthusiasm that perhaps only the Old Firm had previously matched. Under the Marrs, they brought in Argentina’s Claudio Caniggia and Italy’s Fabrizio Ravanelli amongst others, propelling the club up the table. There were top six finishes and a Scottish Cup final, but expenditure far outstripped revenue and ultimately, administration beckoned, leading to a player exodus, Jamie amongst them.
For all the issues that came with Dundee’s expansive approach to spending, for Langfield, the chance to rub shoulders with some of the game’s biggest names was a wholly positive experience.
“I have been in dressing rooms with so called big names and players that people might think would have an ego, but that doesn’t mean they will behave in a negative manner. At Dundee, it was actually really good when all the big names came in. The likes of Fabrizio Ravanelli and Claudio Caniggia are amongst some of the nicest people I have met in the game. They would talk away to you, they were very down to earth.
“There were one or two other players who maybe thought they were better than they were and the mix in the dressing room was maybe not always right, but it was still a great time. But when the finances began to bite, things went downhill very quickly and all of a sudden, I walked into work one day and was told I was unemployed. I would not wish that on anyone in any walk of life.
“When the club went into administration and I got made redundant, I did start to worry seriously about my future. What do I do now? It changed my outlook on life a little bit. In truth, it was good money that the Italians were paying. The money us young boys were getting was very good, especially for the ones such as myself who were playing for the first team but I didn’t make the most of it. I went out and spent too much of it and it came back and bit me big time.
“Young players really need to look after their money. There is maybe not as much money now in Scottish football as there was back then, there was money just being thrown about, but even now you can still go from earning a decent wage every week to earning absolutely nothing. I lost absolutely everything.
“I had to go back and start again at the bottom. I had to work so hard to get back and I think a lot of my strength of character comes from that time. I decided I was not going to be beaten. I have always been like that in my footballing career. I’ve always just got my head down and got on with it. If I have not been playing, I just worked harder in training to try and get back into the team. I might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but no one can say that I did not give 100%.
“After Dundee, I went and played for Raith Rovers for not a lot of money, but just to get my eye back in. I then went down to Stockport County on trial because my pal Mark Robinson was down there. I could have signed there and I was all set to move down the road when I got a phone call from James Grady, who was an old team mate from Dundee. He asked me if I wanted to come to Partick Thistle so I drove straight back up the road. It was a no brainer. It was a chance to play in the Premier League again, even though they were struggling at the bottom of the league. It was good to get some game time and get my face known again. Jimmy Calderwood then spotted me and asked me to sign a pre-contract at Dunfermline.
“Jimmy told me that Derek Stillie was away and that I would be challenging another keeper they were bringing in for the number one jersey at Dunfermline. That was great and I signed the deal. Life was starting to look up for me, I had a guaranteed income again, I had also just met Louise, so things were looking rosy again. I went on holiday for a week feeling good. Then on holiday, I picked up a paper to see Jimmy on the back page holding up an Aberdeen scarf! Then I picked up the paper the following day to find that Derek Stillie had re-signed at Dunfermline!
“I was at East End Park for a year, I worked hard in the reserves, I worked really hard in training every day to try and get into the first team. Davie Hay was the manager at the time and actually offered me a two year deal to stay there because he was impressed with what I had shown him. But then Jimmy Calderwood came back for me and said he wanted me to go to Aberdeen. It was a no brainer. It was definitely the best decision I have made in my footballing life and I will always be very thankfully to Jimmy for giving me that opportunity.
“My initial thoughts on Aberdeen were that it was a massive club with huge expectations around it. I remember when I used to play against Aberdeen, even at youth level, U18 and U19, you used to think that their boys had a bit of a swagger about them. I used to wonder why that was. But it’s not until you come in the door at Pittodrie that you fully realise what it is like here. When you put the strip on and play at Pittodrie for the first time you realise just what a special, special place this is.
“The thing that has always impressed me most, right from day one, is the fact it is a family club. I speak to everyone at the club. I am friendly with everyone from the cleaners and catering staff through to the Chairman. It is a unique place to come to work. The club is also so well run. It is great to have been part of it for so many years and that’s something I have never taken for granted.
“I remember coming up to sign and having my medical. I also remember David Wylie saying ‘you’re a big boy’ referring to the fact I was maybe carrying a little too much fat! I very quickly realised the standards of the club and levels of professionalism that are required. Everything is done right at this club.
“The club really looked after me at start. They sorted me out with a flat and they have been great to me throughout my time here. This is my 11th season here, and I am so honoured and privileged to have been here that length of time. I know it’s easy to say that, but it’s true, it is a very special football club and I’m so happy to have played a part for so many years”.
Jamie’s relationship with the Dons began in earnest on 23rd August 2005 when he made his debut in a 3-0 League win over Berwick Rangers. He was Aberdeen’s cup ‘keeper at the time, playing in the 1-0 defeat at Motherwell in the next round, waiting for his real chance to come. It arrived in December 2005.
“When I first arrived I was fighting it out with Ryan Esson and David Preece. I knew it was going to be difficult as they were both very good goalkeepers, but I always set myself challenges. David left that year and then it was just me and Ryan. I just had to knuckle down and wait for my chance.
“People always go on about the goalkeeping union, but it is not like any other position. Only one goalkeeper can play at any one time. It is important that if you are not playing you are pressurising the other guy in training so that they play better on a Saturday, but it is also important that you get on.
“At the end of the day if the person plays better on a Saturday that is all that matters because it is all about the club. I am a team player. It is not all about Jamie Langfield. It is about the squad. When you are not playing, it is just about working hard and being ready for when that chance comes along.
“I knew Ryan would start as number one because he’d had a very good season the year before. It was all about working hard and getting in the manager’s thoughts. Thankfully, my chance came along. I remember it well as my first league game was against Dunfermline in December and I stayed in goal for the rest of the season”. Jamie established himself as first choice through the rest of the campaign and was the undisputed number one into 2006/07, posting a dozen clean sheets as Aberdeen qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing third. That run set him on the way to a very special record, with more shut outs than any other goalkeeper in the history of the SPL and SPFL.
“For a goalkeeper to do it outside the Old Firm is quite an achievement, so hopefully the record stays for a while. Although I thought Scott Brown was going to get close to it last year with the rate of shutouts he had! I do pride myself on the number of shut outs I have, and a lot of it started from that season.
“2006/07 was a great year, we had a very good team. At the back, we had Russell Anderson, Andy Considine, Zander Diamond, Richard Foster, Michael Hart and Scott Severin also dropped in there now and again. I felt our defence was as good as anyone’s that season and it showed in the goals against tally. I have always prided myself on my clean sheet record and the back fours that I have played with. The defences have always been brilliant with me and hopefully I have given them a bit of security behind them.
“We had a very good season. We were second for a long time, we split the Old Firm and were right up there and it wasn’t until Rangers changed their manager and brought back Walter Smith that they kicked on and finally overtook us. We deservedly finished third and qualified for Europe in what was a very strong league. Celtic and Rangers were littered with internationalists and multimillion pound players. Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United were all strong as well.
“I will always remember the last day when we beat Rangers to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Pittodrie was packed out with 20,000 there and we won 2-0, which showed just how good a side we were. Those days were incredible”.
As Jamie went off that summer with European football to look forward to, things could not have looked better but, as has happened throughout his career, he was about to face challenging times. A misdemeanour in Spain whilst away on his stag do led to him being dropped, transfer listed and saw Derek Soutar start the 2007/08 season as number one.
“I got a phone call from Jimmy over the summer, but I knew it was coming as he had spoken to my agent. He said “I am going to have to do this to you”. It was not an argument between me and Jimmy. I have never, ever said that. I want to put it on record that I have never fought with anyone nor said that I wanted to leave. There were rumours that claimed I wanted to go to Rangers but that was never the case. I think those rumours turned a lot of the fans against me, but it was never about Rangers or me wanting to leave. That was so untrue.
“I had been offered a three year deal at Aberdeen and I had agreed to sign it. I was signing it when I returned from a short holiday, just before I got married. The reason I was dropped was because of something I did on that holiday that Jimmy was not happy with. I totally agreed with him. I accepted it although I can’t remember doing it, which is never a good thing!
“Jimmy hung up and then 20 minutes later, he phoned back. In between that time, I was having to explain the situation to poor Louise and this was about a week before our wedding. I picked up the phone and he said,
“Langers, it is the gaffer. Alex McLeish is just off the phone. You have been called up to the Scotland squad. You have to meet up with them in Glasgow tomorrow.”
“I actually thought he was winding me up! But I then went to the Faroe Islands with Scotland for four days and came back on the Friday night and we got married on the Saturday. It was a crazy time that probably just about sums up my career. I went from getting transfer listed to being called up by Scotland in 20 minutes!
“I think I travelled with Scotland at various levels for something like 50 times and travelled halfway round the world and still did not get a cap! It was frustrating to get so close and not get on but I still loved every minute being away with my country. I loved the fact four or five Scotland managers picked me for their squad. When I first got picked, the other two goalkeepers were Neil Sullivan and Robert Douglas, so that was a while ago. I was in about the squads for about ten years. It was just unfortunate that I was at a time where Craig Gordon was on the scene.
“Coming back for the start of the next season, it was another of those challenges that I have seemed to have given myself throughout my career. To be fair to the manager, he never shut the door on me. He never said I was finished. He said, “This is what I am going to do, it is up to you to decide what you want to do”. I just had to knuckle down and work hard again to force my way back into the team, which I did five games into the season.
The manager knew I had been a stupid boy but I didn’t do anything deliberately to offend anyone. At that time, I was just one of those people with a drink in them who did something stupid. I was just unfortunate that my manager was sitting in the same bar as me on my stag do!”
Jamie’s recall to the side could hardly have been for a more significant fixture – the first leg of the UEFA Cup qualifier against Dnipro. It was the start of a spell that has gone into Pittodrie folklore.
“Before the home game, I was just so nervous. It was probably the most nervous I have been going into a game because what had happened and because I had only just come back in. I wondered how the fans would react to me. We managed to get a 0-0 draw in a game with few chances at either end.
“Then the away leg, that was something else. I can never remember a game where we were camped inside our own half for such a length of time. Then when we scored I thought. “Here we go!” And I was right, it was just wave after wave of attacks coming at us. The goal we finally lost was so unlucky because Andy tried to clear it and the boy just stuck his heel up and it flew off him and went in the net.
“We managed to hold on though. I just remember sitting in the dressing room afterwards and there was no celebration amongst the boys, every player was just slouched in their seats, absolutely shattered. We then got to the airport and there was a little bar. All the fans were in there singing away, so we went in and joined them.
“The gaffer said we could have a beer. I think it was actually out of date beer, but the boys had one anyone! Sandy Clark then quietly came up to me and said, “Not you big man!” so I had a diet coke! It was a really good time for all the players and the staff and an enjoyable flight home, although we all slept because we were that tired.
“The European adventure that followed that season was a blur to be honest. It is only when you look back now or see Bayern Munich winning the Champions League, Atletico Madrid getting to the final and Dnipro getting to the final of the Europa League that you fully appreciate what we achieved that season. You look back at the quality of the players we played against, some of the world’s best. It is nice that we all have these stories that we can tell the grandkids one day. It was something I was very proud to be part of.
“The Copenhagen game was one of the best I have been involved in because no-one gave us a chance. It was actually one of my quietest games. Richie Byrne played in central defence that night and he was colossal. I remember the manager going on about their two central defenders before the game and saying how good they were. I was not that sure of them and said to Jimmy at half time, “If I launch this down the middle I think they are struggling” and if you look at the first goal, it was bang, bang, goal Jamie Smith. We just kept going directly at them at they had no answers.
“Whilst the European nights were fantastic, they took their toll on the domestic campaign. We were not used to playing so many midweek games and doing all that travelling. It was a new experience and we did not have the luxury of a sports science department like we do now. We did not really know when to rest, when to train and did not get ourselves prepared for the games on the Sunday following the Thursday night. Things like that have changed a lot at the club.
“As well as our league form suffering, we lost both cup semi-finals. I had to watch the Queen of the South game from the stands at Hampden and that was very hard. It was the worst feeling, sitting there watching, unable to influence proceedings, and what unfolded was hard to take. I think it was a game that we just never thought we would lose and that was the problem. We were just so open that day. That was such a low time at the club.
“It was especially hard on Jimmy Calderwood. He did so much for the club and he deserved to win a cup, but it was not meant to be. I don’t think he was given the credit he deserved. He was a good manager who brought in some very good players such as Scott Severin, Barry Nicholson, Lee Miller, Jamie Smith. He also brought in people like Craig Brewster who was brilliant for us. We had a way of playing and we were a right good team. It would be interesting to see how that team would match up to the side we have now. It would certainly be a very good game as we have so much quality now.”
A year later, Jimmy Calderwood was on his way, leaving at the end of the 2008/09 season, on the afternoon when the Dons clinched another season of European football. Mark McGhee would be in charge for the qualifier against Sigma Olomouc but there was to be no repeat of the Dnipro victory. Instead, a wholly unprepared Aberdeen side were torn apart, the precursor to a difficult period under the former Dons striker.
“The side needed rebuilt but for whatever reason, things just did not click. Mark McGhee had gone to Motherwell and things had worked out. He came here and they did not. Sometimes as a manager that happens. It was a bad time for club, attendances fell and we suffered some very bad defeats. It was a challenge for everyone at the club to get to it back to where it is now and where it should stay.
“The 9-0 defeat at Celtic Park was certainly one of the lowest points of my career. It simply should not have happened. However bad you are, you should not be getting beat by that amount. If you look at the game, they scored three penalties, there was an own goal, we had Paul Hartley sent off after about half an hour. It was just one of those days where if it could go wrong, it did. I have come off the field at Parkhead before in games where we have lost 1-0 and they have had 25 shots on target. That day they had eight shots on target and it finished 9-0. They actually went down to ten men as well, but then the pitch became so much bigger. You have to learn from experiences like that and make sure they never happen again”.
Losing nine goals is bad enough for any goalkeeper, but the following summer, a dose of perspective was delivered when health problems looked as if they would put an end to Jamie’s career.
“I remember absolutely everything that happened. I remember going to Magaluf with Seve, Derek Young and Daz Mackie. We had a good time and then I came home and went out on the Saturday night to watch the Champions League final with my pals. The next day I went to get a Chinese with Louise and I felt really tired. I felt absolutely knackered so I went home to my bed.
“The next thing I remember was waking up during the night and it was like I was screaming at the top of my voice, not making any sense and I was trying to climb the wall. My fingernails were actually scraping the wallpaper off. Louise put the light on and I just flew back and started fitting and having a seizure. The next thing I knew, I came round and I was so disorientated. People said to me afterwards that the experience is like a computer shutting down and rebooting.
“When I came back round the paramedics were there and I was speaking about my gran, I was calling Louise my mum, I was very aggressive. The paramedics were asking what I had been on? What had I been drinking?! I remember all this and then remember going into the bathroom and just sitting there thinking, “What is going on here?”
“I then went back into the living room and sat down and came round again and then just started speaking normally to the paramedics, speaking calmly and asking what they were doing in the house? They said they would have to take me to hospital but I was saying I was fine, there was nothing wrong.
“Louise worked in the neurological department as a nurse, so she knew there was something very seriously wrong, but did not let me know. I was speaking in the ambulance quite normally and then when I was at the Paisley Alexander Hospital waiting to be seen, I went again. You can actually feel the seizure coming on. I then went for a scan but nothing showed up. They then put me in another room as I came round but then I could feel it coming on again, and at that point I thought I was dying because it felt so severe. They say seizures can last from 30 seconds to a minute. I had a seizure for almost five minutes. I was completely out of it. I remember turning away from Louise and fitting. It was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced in my life. Thankfully I was given the right drugs so I came round again. Then I had the MRI scan which showed that I had had a brain haemorrhage.
“I have spoken about the highs and lows of my career, how I have been lucky and unlucky at times, but that is just football. I was so lucky that night that I had Louise there beside me. Because of her job and her training, she knew what was happening. She saved my life. At the hospital, Louise had worked in the ward below so she knew everyone.
“I will always be grateful to all the staff at the hospital as well as Louise and I would like to thank Doctor Sarah Jenkins who operated on me and who also saved my life. I now have a little bit of glue in my brain, but that glue saved my life.
“I never thought I would play football again. We did not know why it had happened and why I had had a brain hemorrhage. The club sent me down to see a specialist in London who had also worked with Petr Czech when he suffered his head injury. He said they would not know more until the clot had dispersed, but the feeling I got from him was that my career was over.
“I then found out it was an AVM, which is an arteriovenous malformation, an abnormal connection between arteries and veins, bypassing the capillary system in the brain. It was a ticking time bomb in my head. I was relieved in a way, because I knew I could come back from it if I got the right treatment. Without it, there was no way I would have been able to play again.
“During my time out I became an expert on the subject. The worst possible thing though you can do is go on google and read information, because it is all doom and gloom! The inspiration I took was from speaking to the people at the hospital. Dr Sarah then performed the angiogram on me. There were other treatments that were far longer term, but this was quite quick.
“She said the procedure had a 60% chance of being successful. I still thought there was no chance I would play again but Louise sat next to me and said in brain surgery that is an incredibly positive statistic. I then got it done and that statistic went up to 90% and over time, it would heal. When I went back to find out that it had cleared completely, it was an incredible feeling. I am still prone to maybe having seizures but I am on medication for it.
“I know I can never repay all those who helped me but I hope that raising money for the charity BareAll4BTs, which helps those affected by brain tumours, by auctioning my gloves, it is a small token of my appreciation for those who have helped me. I hope any money raised can help others who were not as lucky as myself to make a full recovery”.
Ironically, Jamie became something of a metaphor for the club. Wracked by ill health, he had come through the trials and tribulations and was on the mend just at the time that things were starting to improve for the Dons under Craig Brown and Archie Knox.
“They stabilised things. They were quiet different people. You had Craig who was so placid and then you had Archie who was less placid! But they worked well as a team. The chairman knew he had to get people in to stabilise the club and that’s exactly what they did. We became a side who were hard to beat. The work they did maybe goes under the radar, but they set the wheels in motion. They also made some good signings in Jonny, Mark and Niall who are all big players for us now.
“They put in the foundations and we have taken it from there. In Derek McInnes, we now have a manager who is special. He has total respect from all the players and all the staff. He is so in tune with what is needed to be successful, he is a complete football man. But he also knows the other side of the game has to be done right too, the preparation and the sports science side of it. Everything. Like Craig and Archie there is also a very good balance between the manager and Tony Docherty. They are very approachable and have very good staff round about them. Everything here is so professional, and it’s that that has delivered the success we’ve had over the last couple of seasons.”
As with so many Dons, the League Cup win of 2014 was a huge highlight for Jamie. From the penalty save against Alloa, to his performance against Motherwell when Aberdeen were down to ten men, the save in the semi-final against St Johntone at 1-0 and on to the penalty save in the final, Jamie played a massive part in Russell Anderson finally being able to lift the League Cup.
“I remember Jim Leighton saying that we had not won a penalty shootout for something like 19 years, some ridiculous figure. So to overcome Alloa on penalties put that to bed. We then had a difficult game against Falkirk but went down there and won 5-0 and put in a tremendous performance. Motherwell away in the next round was always going to be tough and it got harder when big Joe got sent off early on. We somehow dug out a win and that was a massive result psychologically. We started to believe we could do it. We got the sense that it was going to be our year.
“The thing I remember was how important the win over St Johnstone was in the semi-final. Semi-finals had become such a problem for the club and it was a real mental barrier. It played on everyone’s mind. We had some bad defeats and also landed up playing against Celtic more often than not.
“When we drew St Johnstone, all due respect to them, but we knew we had a chance and then when we got to Tynecastle the place was rocking. It was great to be apart of that event. And then onto the final. People say it was not the greatest of games but for anyone connected to the club, the players, the management team, the fans, no one could care less! It was just all about getting our hands on that cup.
“It was one of the greatest days of my life and it was so special having my kids and my wife there. Walking round the pitch at Parkhead with the girls made all the hard work worthwhile. Seeing their smiling faces and for them to turn round and say “Daddy, you’re my hero”, that was truly wonderful. Life does not get much better than that.
“Winning the cup was for my wife Louise and my two kids Ruby and Maisie who have put up with me the last few years. They’ve really helped me through. So I just got very emotional as I knew how they would be feeling. I knew they would probably be crying and I just got caught up in the moment.
“Louise has been with me all the way during my Aberdeen career. Ruby and Maisie are Aberdonians and have the Aberdonian twang! The club has been a great part of their lives. If we were ever to leave here it would be a severe wrench for all of us but especially the kids who have all their friends here. I have been very fortunate that my kids have stayed in the same place since they were born. Most players have to uproot their families every two or three years.
“It was an emotional day. I went from nearly dying two-and-a-half years ago to winning a cup at Parkhead with a team I love and I want to be part of. That’s incredible. To lift a cup, for the club that means so much to me, it was very, very special. I know my picture will always be on the wall somewhere at Pittodrie because of that!
“Saying that, I still believe I have got a few years left in me. I am still relatively young for a keeper. I keep myself in shape and I believe I can perform at the highest level. It is up to me to prove that I am good enough to get back in the team, but if it is not here then we will just need to wait and see what happens.
“The coaching side of things is something I would like to do. I did a bit of it at the end of last season when Jim Leighton left and it was something I really enjoyed. Jim and I worked together for a long time, almost all my time at the club, and there is no doubt he improved me as a keeper and I thank him for that. I enjoyed working with Gordon Marshall, and I would like to get involved with goalkeeping coaching one day and take what I’ve learnt and pass it on.
“For me it is all about job satisfaction and if you are not playing the next best thing is being a coach. You take a lot of satisfaction from seeing your keeper, the one you have worked with all week, doing the business on a Saturday. I feel I have a lot to give and have the experience of playing in this league for a long time. But we’ll just have to see what the future holds – experience has taught me there’s always something going to happen to change your plans!”
MY TOP TEN GAMES:
I have been very fortunate to have played in a lot of good games during the past decade, so it is difficult to pick out 10. After a lot of thought, these are my favourites that I have played in:
1. 16 March 2014 League Cup Final Aberdeen 0-0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Aberdeen win 4-2 on penalties) 2. 4 October 2007 UEFA Europa League Dnipro 1-1 Aberdeen 3. 31 January 2014 League Cup Semi-Final Aberdeen 4-0 St Johnstone 4. 20 May 2007 SPL Aberdeen 2-0 Rangers 5. 8 February 2014 Scottish Cup Celtic 1-2 Aberdeen 6. 20 December 2007 UEFA Europa League Aberdeen 4-0 Copenhagen 7. 14 February 2008 UEFA Europa League Aberdeen 2-2 Bayern Munich 8. 26 May 2014 SPL Dundee United 1-3 Aberdeen 9. 8 February 2006 SPL Aberdeen 2-0 Rangers 10. 25 February 2014 SPL Aberdeen 2-1 Celtic
MY TOP FIVE SAVES
5. 14 March 2007 SPL Motherwell 0 Aberdeen 2 It was a big game as we needed to win to keep in the race for European football. We scored through an own goal after about half an hour. Motherwell then had a lot of pressure and late on I managed to produce a great save to deny Scott McDonald who hit a shot on the turn. Richard Foster then hit an unbelieve strike in the last minute to settle the game. Team: Langfield, Hart, Anderson, Considine, Foster, Jamie Smith, Severin, Touzani (Diamond 26), Clark, Brewster (Miller 79), Lovell (Mackie 65). Subs not used: Soutar, Dempsey, Daniel, Smith, Maguire.
4. 4 October 2007 UEFA Cup Dnipro 1 Aberdeen 1 That was one of my best games for Aberdeen and of all the saves I had that night, I would pick the one in the 88th minute when I touched the ball onto the bar. Team: Langfield, Hart, Diamond, Severin, Jamie Smith (Mair 46), Nicholson, Mackie (Lovell 71), Clark, Foster, Young, Considine. Subs not used: Kelly, Touzani, Miller, Maguire, De Visscher.
3. 31 January 2014 League Cup Semi-Final Aberdeen 4-0 St Johnstone The reason for picking this was because it was such an important save at that stage of the game. St Johnstone were putting us under a lot of pressure in the first half. Lee Croft had a great chance but I managed to get a touch, which deflected the ball onto the post. Minutes later, Peter Pawlett went up the other end and scored. The rest, as they say, is history. Team: Langfield, Logan, Considine, Flood, Anderson (Tate 81), Reynolds, Pawlett (Low 87) Robson, (Vernon 82), McGinn, Rooney, Hayes. Subs not used: Zola, Weaver.
2. 6 May 2014 SPL Dundee United 1-3 Aberdeen This was the game in which Scott Vernon scored a brilliant hat-trick. I didn’t know whether to go for the one from Andy Robertson – he had a sidefoot volley which I put round the post – or the one from Mark Wilson which I put onto the bar. They are two of the best saves I have had in my career but if I had to pick one, I would pick the save from Mark Wilson. Team: Langfield, Jack, Logan, Flood (Smith 31), Reynolds, Anderson, Pawlett, Robson, Vernon (Zola 88), McGinn (Tate 74), Hayes. Subs not used: Weaver, McManus, Murray, Rose.
1. 16 March 2014 League Cup Final Aberdeen v Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0-0 (Aberdeen win 4-2 on penalties) My most important save ever was the one from Billy McKay’s spot-kick in the League Cup final penalty shoot-out. That’s a no brainer and easily my number one. Team: Langfield, Logan, Considine (Vernon 108), Jack, Anderson, Reynolds, Robson, Flood, Rooney, McGinn, Hayes (Smith 6 (Low 70)). Subs not used: Weaver, Tate.
