New Aberdeen FC Chief Executive Alan Burrows talked to RedTV for the first time. Alan outlined what attracted him to the role, what his short-term priorities are and he also gave an update on the appointment of a new First team manager.

“I am very pleased and honoured to be here. The club is what I thought it was going to be when I arrived because I was well aware of some of the people that surround this club and make it what it is. It has been really good to catch up with them as a colleagues as opposed to seeing them every couple of months. So it has been enjoyable.

“I am really look forward to getting into some of the really big items over the next couple of months.

“A lot of things attracted me to the job. The size of the club, the people that I know who work here throughout the club as I just mentioned. Also the strategy the club has, there is so much good work been done here in terms of fan engagement and in terms of trying to give the club an identity within the local community. I am really excited to play a part in that, but the biggest factor for me is potential. This club really does have the ability to grow and to get better and that is something I am really excited to play a part in.

“And a club who can take three of four thousand supporters to an away game. I am really looking forward to the game on Saturday night.

“Short term, the most important priority is the managerial one. Since Jim Goodwin left, Barry Robson has filled that vacancy on an interim basis. The board have asked me to come in and work with Steven Gunn and Willie Garner and lead that process to identify the candidate who should come and do the role. And that is something we will look to do as soon as we possibly can.

“I also want to learn as much as I can about the club. It is a fantastic club but my only real experience was coming up here with Motherwell in matchday environments. So I am really keen to understand the DNA of the football club, the DNA of the city and what makes this club so special. That is very important to me. I want to meet as many people as I can, I want to meet as many of the Aberdeen fans in as many different settings as I possibly can. I am really keen to understand everything there is to know about Aberdeen FC. It is my job to make sure I have the same level of understanding (as I did at Motherwell where I was a supporter) and that will take a lot of time and effort on my part to make sure I do that.

“The directors of the club and myself talked about the strategy the club have. I don’t have any plans to change that strategy, we will review it and we will tweak it as it is my job to make sure it works so we can take the club forward.

“It is really clear and concise, and it is what I was brought in to deliver. It is my job to make sure all the staff and everyone associated with this football club stay on that focussed path in terms of interacting with the supporters and in terms of putting out a really competitive team on the park. That is going to be the key items over the next three to four months.

“I would like to say thank you to all the fans for the fantastic welcome I have had. It has been slightly overwhelming.

“What I want to be is a guy who can represent this football club and give Aberdeen fans the best version of the club it can be. I see no reason why this club can’t be successful. I don’t see any reason why the expectations of the fans can’t be matched by the club.

“What I can promise them is that myself and all the staff – everyone round about Pittodrie and Cormack Park, will work exceptionally hard to give Aberdeen fans the success they deserve and hopefully my tenure here, however long it is, will be one that is aligned to success on and off the park.”