McInnes: Wylde lacked hunger to be Dons success

Gregg Wylde, far right, made just four starts for Aberdeen after joining the club in the summer. Picture: SNS

The former Rangers player joined St Mirren on an 18-month deal earlier in the week claiming he needed more first-team football. However, the Dons manager insists the player had to go because he lacked the determination to make the grade at Pittodrie.

Wylde scored once in just four starts for Aberdeen but McInnes wanted him to stay and fight for his place in the top team. He believed the fact the Dons are pushing for second place in the league and are still in both cups should have been motivation enough to remain.

That’s why when Wylde continued to push to be allowed to go out on loan McInnes decided there was no long-term future for him at Pittodrie

He said: “I spoke to Gregg two weeks ago and his feeling then was he wanted to go out on loan.

“I told him to seriously consider that and knuckle down to get back into the team.

“I put it to him if he went out on loan he would be missing the second half of the season and potentially what that could involve for Aberdeen. I felt there was plenty for him to stay and want to fight for. I told him not to give it up lightly. We spoke to him again on Tuesday and he reiterated the feeling he wanted to go out on loan, which more than disappointed me.

“I instructed him and his agent to go and get a club and we would look at it.

“When the opportunity for him to go to St Mirren emerged I decided it would be best to terminate his contract.

“If he felt the way he does now I couldn’t see that changing by the summer. I decided it would be better for St Mirren and Gregg for him to fully concentrate on playing for them.”

McInnes is still interested in signing Blackburn Rovers striker David Goodwillie on loan for the rest of the season.

However he insists that had nothing to do with terminating Wylde’s contract as money was always available to add to the squad.

The Aberdeen manager is desperate to add a goalscorer as Calvin Zola has failed to impress while Josh Magennis has started just one game this season.

One down side in signing Goodwillie, though, is that he would be ineligible for the knockout competitions as he was cup tied in both with Dundee United. McInnes also remains hopeful of getting Michael Hector back on loan from Reading before the end of the month.

And he added: “We are in a position where if we want to act and get a player we can as the money was there before Gregg left. There’s a chance we don’t bring anyone in because I won’t do it just for the sake of it.

“If I thought there was someone out there who I think can help us meet the challenges ahead of us then I will do it. I said a few weeks ago it wasn’t like I was desperate for the window to open but we do have big challenges ahead of us.

“We’ve got to make sure we are as prepared as we can be and January gives you the opportunity to see where you are.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Considine has recovered from an injury that kept the defender out for four weeks and will start against Caley Thistle tomorrow.