Frank Ross became the latest player to take the pathway from the AFC Youth Academy to the first team. He made his debut late on at Dens and had a hand in Adam’s late goal. Frank, who has played most of his games for the U17s this season, only returned late on Thursday from the European U17 Championships in Bulgaria.

Frank spoke recently to RedMatchday magazine

“I am from Ellon and went to Ellon Primary and then Ellon Academy. I have spent almost all my playing career with Aberdeen, a part of the set-up since I was eight years old. I went to FTS, which was a sort of training camp, when I was very young. The coaches there were involved with Aberdeen and they took me along to the club for a trial. I have been here ever since.

“I am mainly a midfielder or a winger, although I have played in defence now and again as well. I would say that centre midfield is my preferred position, in an attacking role. I am two footed, so I am comfortable playing in a wide position as well.

“When I first came into the club full time last summer, it was hard getting used to the intensity of the training. It was very hard at first to adjust your adjust your body to the demands that are placed on it. There were a lot of double sessions! I am settling in now though because, like anything else, you get used to it.

“Last year when I was still at school, I would come into Pittodrie on a Friday for the last few months of the season. I would train with the 20s, so that did help when I came in full-time. I also played a couple of games, coming on as sub in a few games. I remember I made my debut against Dundee United in a game played at Tannadice. We lost 1-0 but had a very, very young team that night so we put in a good performance. That gave me confidence coming in this year”.

Winning the Development League this term has been a huge achievement and Frank, like all his colleagues, is quick to praise coach Pal Sheerin for his role in it all.

“Paul Sheerin has done a great job. We all really enjoy working with him. He is very approachable and easy to speak to. When he joins in training, you can tell he that was a player!

“I am happy that I have started a few times and I feel I have played a part in the win. It has been so enjoyable being part of a winning side and I am so pleased we have something to show for it by winning the title. It has been a good experience and hopefully, I will get more starts next season.

“A lot of the guys like myself who came in this year are not big fans of the over-age rule in the Development League because you can land up with five over-ages but the other night, Daniel Harvie played 90 minutes alongside Russell Anderson. That is invaluable experience, so it has its plus points. It will be interesting to see if they change the set up in the years to come.

“I was in the first team squad for Andrew Considine’s Testimonial match and made my debut. I never imagined at the start of the season that I would be involved with a first team squad. It was really weird playing in front of a big crowd for the first time, but a great feeling.

“As well as playing for the U20s this season, I have still been able to play for the U17s. That has been great because I know I will be playing at least one game each week. At the start of the season, we struggled a bit but the squad has changed quite a lot over the course of the campaign. We now have a number of players who have stepped up from U15 level and there are some very good players coming through at that level”.

Frank was part of the Scotland squad that won the Sky Sports Victory Shield a couple of years ago. Daniel Harvie and Arron Norris were also part of the team that beat England in the final game. In recent seasons Jack Grimmer, Fraser Fyvie and Ryan Jack have all captained Scotland in the tournament. Sadly, it was recently announced that England will no longer compete in the Victory Shield as the Football Association does not believe the competition suits the needs of its young players despite the fact they have not won it for three years. Like many outside England, Frank is disappointed at the demise of the competition.

“I first started playing for Scotland at U16 level and went on a trip to Poland. Since then, I have been in every squad. I have really enjoyed it. It has been very good for my development. It was fantastic experience playing in the Victory Shield and winning it was amazing – I think we were the first Scottish side to win it for 12 years. “All the games were live on TV and I was involved in all three matches. You were aware the TV cameras were there – all the boys were fixing their hair all the time and things like that! It is a lot of pressure, because you know all your mates will be at home watching, plus thousands of others, so you want to play well. You learn to cope with the nerves. It is a real shame that England have pulled out of the Victory Shield.”

Out in Bulgaria, Scotland Under-17s failed to emulate last year’s Scotland team. Scott Wright’s side got through to an historic semi-final appearance in Malta in 2014 and this was the first time Scotland had qualified for back to back tournaments but Frank and Daniel Harvie were to return home early. Scott Gemmill went down to a heavy 5-0 defeat to France, lost 1-0 against Greece and 2-0 against Russia. Both France and Russia made it through to today’s semi-finals.

“Scott Gemmill has done a great job with the national team. He is a very good coach and I think he has a big future in the game. Being my first finals, despite the results, it was still a very good experience.”

Frank’s early return from the competition meant he was able to make his Aberdeen debut last Saturday. He will make many more appearances in the years to come.

Frank’s early return from the competition meant he was able to make his Aberdeen debut last Saturday. He will make many more appearances in the years to come.