Langfield happy to join SPL’s clean-sheet elite

JAMIE Langfield’s most recent manager, Craig Brown, is well known for his love of stats and now the Aberdeen goalkeeper has one of his own to crow about – no SPL active stopper has more clean sheets in the top league than him.

Monday’s 0-0 draw at Hibernian was Langfield’s 84th clean sheet and only Allan McGregor, Stefan Klos and Rab Douglas have more on the SPL all-time list.

“I got sent that stat last week, about the clean sheets, and it’s quite good to be up there,” said Langfield, who enjoyed his 12th shut-out of the season at Easter Road. “Over the years I’ve taken a bit of stick, so it’s great to be up there among Allan, Rab, Boruc and goalies of that calibre. You never know what might happen if I go on for a bit.

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“Goalkeepers do celebrate clean sheets like strikers celebrate goals, definitely. At least I do. The clean sheet record isn’t something I would wave in people’s faces, not something I would use against the stick, no. I’ve taken stick since the very start. But I’ve been eight years at Aberdeen, I’m still playing, still happy, still doing something right.

“Maybe in the past I would have taken a bit of offence. But I just get on with my football now and thoroughly enjoy it.

“If people want to talk about me in a negative way, fine. Some people talk about me in a positive way – and I listen to the positive people.”

One such positive person is new manager Derek McInnes, who Lanfgield is enjoying working with after the curtain came down on Brown’s career. Defence has been a plus for the Dons this season – they have conceded only 14 at home, the same as champions Celtic – but Langfield hopes the new coaching staff can unlock a greater attacking threat.

“It’s great having the new manager in now,” said Langfield. “I’m thoroughly enjoying working with him and Doc [assistant Tony Docherty] – and hope to work with him for years to come.

‘It’s just about having new voices, a different way of working. They work us hard. People might think we’re winding down towards the end of the season, but the manager has made it clear that won’t be accepted. He is stamping his authority on the squad.

“Not just the out of contract players, but the players under contract as well, want to show that we’re up for the challenge they’re putting before us.

“So it was good to start with a clean sheet. Hopefully that impresses the manager. We just need to create more chances. I had to make a few saves against Hibs and the disappointing thing was we didn’t work Ben [Williams] enough at the other end.

“But I always like a clean sheet.”