Loan move gives Pawlett a shot in arm for under-21s

The Aberdeen winger signed for St Johnstone on loan two weeks ago and started for the Perth team in a goalless draw with Dundee United in the SPL on Saturday.

The 21-year-old had played for Aberdeen against Morton in the second round of the Scottish Communities League Cup the night before his move, so Dons manager Craig Brown’s decision came as a surprise to many, but Pawlett is keen to play as much as he can.

Pawlett also started for Billy Stark’s team in a 1-0 friendly defeat by Belgium last month and could be in line to face Luxembourg tomorrow night at St Mirren Park.

Pawlett said of his move: “We did speak about it before the Morton game, but I didn’t know I’d be going the following day so it was a bit of a surprise for me.

“Obviously my priority this year is to play regular football. I’m at that age where I want to be playing week in, week out. I don’t really want to sit on the bench, it’s frustrating.

“So it was good to get elsewhere and I can show the Aberdeen manager what I can do at  St Johnstone.

“He has told me that my future is still at Aberdeen and that’s where he wants me to be after January. He wants me back and wants me playing for him week in, week out.

“If I do well, I can show him he can put me in his team.

“I’ve been at Aberdeen ever since I was eight years old so going elsewhere is a different experience and hopefully it will mature me as a player as well.

“It’s been good so far. I started at the weekend and I was pleased with my performance.

“My aim is to play regular football and enjoy it, and hopefully we can get ourselves up the table.”

Stark has lost winger James Forrest and striker Jordan Rhodes, who has eight goals in eight qualifiers, ahead of the matches after both players were promoted to the senior squad, but Pawlett is convinced that the squad is strong enough to remain in the top two of the group.

“I’ve been involved from the start and people have come and gone, but the quality has remained the same,” he said.

“We have lost Jordan and James Forrest to the senior squad but we have still got a lot of quality with Johnny Russell, Leigh Griffiths and Tony Watt.

“Hopefully I showed in the Belgium game that I can do a job.”

Scotland sit second in Group 10, three points adrift of the Netherlands, with only the four best runners-up joining the ten group winners in the play-offs. Stark’s men are firm favourites to beat Luxembourg ahead of their final game against Austria, but Pawlett sounded a warning.

“I played the last half-hour over there and although it was 5-1 it was difficult to break them down,” he said. “They will be very organised and they will make it difficult for us.”