Aberdeen manager eager to strike loan deal for Stevie May

Derek McInnes is hoping to sign Stevie May on loan to help Aberdeen end their long wait for Scottish Cup success three years after the striker shot them out of the competition.

Stevie May in action for St Johnstone against Aberdeen in 2014. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Hibs, Hearts and Dundee are also interested in May who has just recovered from serious injury but the player wants to link up again with McInnes.

The Dons boss guided the early stages of the forward’s career during their time together with St Johnstone. Now McInnes is trying to arrange a reunion at Pittodrie as the players he brought in last summer to add a goal threat have largely disappointed. Jayden Stockley has scored just four goals in 23 appearances, Wes Burns has returned to Bristol City after his loan spell was cut short and Miles Storey will be loaned out.

That’s why McInnes is turning to someone who hasn’t played a top team game since suffering knee ligament damage playing for Preston in November 2015.

May has scored just 11 goals since the double for St Johnstone that dumped Aberdeen out at the semi-final stage of the Scottish Cup in April 2014.

He made an unsuccessful move to Sheffield Wednesday after helping the Perth club win the trophy for the first time in their history.

Now if May does return north it would boost Aberdeen’s chances of ending what McInnes admits has been too long a wait to be reunited with the Scottish Cup.

The Dons manager said:“I think it is 27 years which is a poor reflection on everyone that has been involved, myself included. We want to try to change that stat.

“Hopefully we are good enough to get in the next round first and foremost and hopefully work our way through the rounds. We know the bigger picture is a cup final at Hampden. We want to be 90 minutes away from lifting silverware and changing that stat.

“We have won one League Cup and we want to win the Scottish Cup but we are going to have to work for it.

“We’ve been to two League Cup finals, one was the ultimate high and the other was the lowest low when we lost against Celtic this season.

“For us to give a better account of ourselves than we did the last time, we have got to get to another final.”

Aberdeen have gone out at the first hurdle away to Dundee and Hearts in the last two seasons but are at home to a Stranraer side tomorrow who are currently bottom of League 1 and sacked manager Brian Reid last weekend.

McInnes has more than just the usual sympathy for a dismissed colleague in this situation. “I was looking forward to the tie for loads of reasons and part of it was Brian being part of that as he is one of my best friends in football” he revealed.

“Brian and I played against each other at juvenile football and played together at Morton. We were briefly at Rangers together. We are godfather to each other’s children and friends throughout. We were both brought up in Paisley. My family and his family are very close.

“He did so well to take them into the play-offs last year but for whatever reason they haven’t been able to build on that this year. These things happen and Brian accepts that but it is disappointing he won’t be in the opposition dugout on Saturday.”