Langfield happy with long-awaited return

Langfield captained a young side during a closed-doors friendly against Dundee United at the Tannadice club’s St Andrews training base. The 31-year-old suffered a seizure at home after the end of last season in May and was treated at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital.

Speaking after helping Aberdeen to a 5-1 win in the low-key match, Langfield joked that he was the oldest player in the team by about ten years but was delighted to be back between the sticks following his recent health scare.

“I was feeling a little bit nervous before the game, not really sure why,” he said. “I am always like that before games anyway and it’s good to feel the nerves again.

“Obviously it is only a closed doors game but it was a massive step for myself. Just to get a strip on and get back on a pitch was brilliant. Maybe this morning was a case of the wiping away the old cobwebs as I should have done better for the only goal I lost but it’s in games like this you need to get things like your timing back when it doesn’t matter.

“Overall though I was happy with my performance. I made a couple of good saves and my kicking, which I normally get a bit of flak for, was good. I think you get more relaxed the older you get and that helps your distribution and kicking. Other than the one little blip I feel happy with the performance and psychologically I feel great as well which is a massive thing as well.”

David Gonzalez, on loan from Manchester City, has established himself as Craig Brown’s first-choice goalkeeper at Pittodrie this season, while Jason Brown, the former Wales and Blackburn Rovers keeper, was also brought in following Langfield’s seizure.

But Langfield is confident of rediscovering his best form and reclaiming the No 1 jersey. “I know I am capable of getting back to what I was doing last season and I will look to that as what I can bring to the club,” he added. When you put into context what happened to me during the summer it is a serious thing.

“It is a shame when you see guys who do their cruciate and they are out for a year so for me to be back after about five months after a brain haemorrhage and seizures is remarkable and I’m really happy I’ve had the chance to come back.

“I don’t how many more games I need, that is the gaffer’s decision and obviously Jim [Leighton, the goalkeeping coach] too, but if you ask me personally I feel fit and ready to go back into the first team. I feel I could go and do a job and it’s up to me now to put the pressure on David Gonzalez.”