There can’t be too many players throughout AFC’s history who have scored with the first touch of the ball on their debut …..

Winger Wes Burns signed late last night, the club’s football department doing a great job to ensure he was registered in time for this evenings game.   The 21-year-old has been with Bristol since the age of 16 and signed his first professional contract, given to him by Derek McInnes, in December 2012. The manager also handed Wes his first team debut at Bristol. Last year Burns scored one goal in 17 appearances for City before ending the season on loan at Fleetwood, where he netted five goals in 14 games. Before then he had loan spells at Forest Green Rovers, Oxford United and Cheltenham Town.   In January 2013 Burns, aged 18, was named in the Wales Under-21 squad versus Iceland in February 2013. He has since played 16 times for the Welsh U21 side and netted on 6 occasions at that level. Cardiff-born Burns was included in the Wales' pre-Euro 2016 training squad along with Danny Ward and Simon Church.   Wes this evening only met his new team mates around 6.00pm and around 9.30pm became a hero after his header gave Aberdeen a three goal lead to take to Latvia.    After the game tonight he spoke to RedTV:   “It was certainly a dream start! I am very happy. To score with your first touch is a good way to announce yourself. I don’t think anyone could have written the script better.   “The manager just told me to go on and make a nuisance of myself in the last five minutes. The manager wanted me to run in behind so I could stretch them. We managed to get the corner and I scored. I could not quite believe my header went in.   “To make your debut in a European game is a big occasion for a young player like myself. I was amazing for me to do that.   “It has been a bit of a mad 24 hours. We did not even know if the clearance would go through because everything was a rush yesterday. Thankfully everything got sorted and I must thank both clubs, Aberdeen and Bristol for making it happen in time.     “Derek McInnes, gave me my debut at Bristol City when he was down there. From then it has been a long process over the last couple seasons, where we’ve been speaking about trying to get me a loan move up here. Obviously with different circumstances it couldn’t happen, but is has this season and I’m delighted to be here. It is a good league to play in and it will help towards my progress and building me as a player.    “The manager was obviously a big factor as I know the way he likes to play and I know him as a person. It wasn’t just that though; it was the fact of being offered the chance to come to play in the Scottish Premiership as it is a big league with big games which will help me develop as a player.   “As a player I have a lot of pace. Although I did not get the chance to show that tonight as I was not on the field for long enough! I am a direct player and I like to score goals.   “I only came and met everyone before the game, so I was kind of thrown in! The lads were great and welcoming, I’m sure scoring tonight helped.   “I know Danny Ward well. I played with Danny at U21 level and then I was in the provincial squad for the European Championships. Before coming up I spoke to Wardy on the phone and I had also spoken to Danny when I was away with Wales. He said it is a club filled with really good people. He also said they like to play good football and the city is really nice. So I would say Danny was a helping hand in making me come up here.   “If I do well in Aberdeen hopefully I can get involved with the Wales squad again. I have got the World Cup Qualifiers coming up too. I want to make an impact here and get myself into that squad, which is an aim in the short term”.

Winger Wes Burns signed late last night, the club’s football department doing a great job to ensure he was registered in time for this evenings game.   The 21-year-old has been with Bristol since the age of 16 and signed his first professional contract, given to him by Derek McInnes, in December 2012. The manager also handed Wes his first team debut at Bristol. Last year Burns scored one goal in 17 appearances for City before ending the season on loan at Fleetwood, where he netted five goals in 14 games. Before then he had loan spells at Forest Green Rovers, Oxford United and Cheltenham Town.   In January 2013 Burns, aged 18, was named in the Wales Under-21 squad versus Iceland in February 2013. He has since played 16 times for the Welsh U21 side and netted on 6 occasions at that level. Cardiff-born Burns was included in the Wales' pre-Euro 2016 training squad along with Danny Ward and Simon Church.   Wes this evening only met his new team mates around 6.00pm and around 9.30pm became a hero after his header gave Aberdeen a three goal lead to take to Latvia.    After the game tonight he spoke to RedTV:   “It was certainly a dream start! I am very happy. To score with your first touch is a good way to announce yourself. I don’t think anyone could have written the script better.   “The manager just told me to go on and make a nuisance of myself in the last five minutes. The manager wanted me to run in behind so I could stretch them. We managed to get the corner and I scored. I could not quite believe my header went in.   “To make your debut in a European game is a big occasion for a young player like myself. I was amazing for me to do that.   “It has been a bit of a mad 24 hours. We did not even know if the clearance would go through because everything was a rush yesterday. Thankfully everything got sorted and I must thank both clubs, Aberdeen and Bristol for making it happen in time.     “Derek McInnes, gave me my debut at Bristol City when he was down there. From then it has been a long process over the last couple seasons, where we’ve been speaking about trying to get me a loan move up here. Obviously with different circumstances it couldn’t happen, but is has this season and I’m delighted to be here. It is a good league to play in and it will help towards my progress and building me as a player.    “The manager was obviously a big factor as I know the way he likes to play and I know him as a person. It wasn’t just that though; it was the fact of being offered the chance to come to play in the Scottish Premiership as it is a big league with big games which will help me develop as a player.   “As a player I have a lot of pace. Although I did not get the chance to show that tonight as I was not on the field for long enough! I am a direct player and I like to score goals.   “I only came and met everyone before the game, so I was kind of thrown in! The lads were great and welcoming, I’m sure scoring tonight helped.   “I know Danny Ward well. I played with Danny at U21 level and then I was in the provincial squad for the European Championships. Before coming up I spoke to Wardy on the phone and I had also spoken to Danny when I was away with Wales. He said it is a club filled with really good people. He also said they like to play good football and the city is really nice. So I would say Danny was a helping hand in making me come up here.   “If I do well in Aberdeen hopefully I can get involved with the Wales squad again. I have got the World Cup Qualifiers coming up too. I want to make an impact here and get myself into that squad, which is an aim in the short term”.