What lies in store for Aberdeen caretaker Paul Sheerin in Stephen Glass era - but Gothenburg Great's role still unclear

Aberdeen interim manager Paul Sheerin has opened up about his own prospects at the club as Stephen Glass prepares to take over the reins next week.

Aberdeen interim manager Paul Sheerin has been "assured" a role under incoming manager Stephen Glass (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

The incoming manager is currently holed up in a hotel in Aberdeen as he continues a ten-day spell in quarantine after travelling over from the United States.

Sheerin’s last game in interim charge is due to be this weekend when he returns to former club St Johnstone targeting a win that would exert some pressure at least on Hibs in the race for third place. He revealed he has been assured a role on the coaching staff “as it stands”.

Sheerin has been employed in a coaching capacity at Aberdeen since 2014, mostly as Under-20s/development squad coach. Speculation about his future role, if any, under Glass increased earlier this week when it was confirmed that Allan Russell the current England strikers’ coach, will come in as assistant manager at Pittodrie. The likelihood is that Sheerin will return to his development squad duties while retaining some first-team involvement.

“We’ve had slight discussions,” said Sheerin. “We need to wait until he (Glass) comes in the building. He’s brought Allan in and Scott Brown will come in next season as a player-coach, but I’ve had assurances from the club that there will be a role for me. How that role develops, I’ll just have to wait and see. But as it stands, I’ve had assurances that there will be a role. I might be cleaning the cupboards and that within a couple of weeks, who knows!?

“Of course, it’s reassuring I’ve been told I have a role next season, it’s pleasing,” he added. “The club has let us know as a staff that they’ve built a structure within the club that looks after the so-called lower echelons if the hierarchy move on like Derek (McInnes) and Tony (Docherty) did so that there are not wholesale changes.”

“I’m not daft to not know that things can change when new people come into a club and there’s different ways of training and opinions. But as it stands, they’ve given me assurances and I’ll just keep doing all I can to do the best for Aberdeen Football Club."

Sheerin did confirm that Barry Robson, who is assisting him with the first team, will shortly return to his Under-18 coaching duties. Meanwhile, Pittodrie legend Neil Simpson, who is currently supporting Sheerin and Robson after stepping up from his role as Head of Youth, is also playing the waiting game.

Sir Alex Ferguson contacted chairman Dave Cormack to stress that everything should be done to keep his former midfielder involved at first-team level because “he is a winner”. Despite this endorsement, Simpson’s future role is still to be confirmed.

“I am not too sure,” said Sheerin, when asked about the Gothenburg Great’s responsibilities under Glass. “Stephen has not gone into the staff that is at the club too much and the roles they will play.

“Barry was a bit different because the Under-18s are back now and starting to play games again. That was why that happened a bit sooner than other roles have been given out. It is just a matter of time when he comes in what roles will be right for people.”

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