'A hostile environment like Saturday': Scout alert for Rangers v Aberdeen as fixture expected to catch eye

Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin has challenged his players to make watching scouts sit up and take notice by excelling in the intimidating circumstances guaranteed when they face Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.

Aberdeen's top scorer Bojan Miovski is one of the summer signings the club's manager Jim Goodwin has urged to raise their profile by standing up to the challenge presented by the club's hosting by Rangers. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

The Irishman acknowledges that the fixture is precisely the sort of major occasion that has allowed him to attract players such as Bojan Miovski, Ylber Ramadani and Duk. Assets to be developed rather than sold right now, that doesn’t mean he isn’t well aware of their desire to burnish reputations for future career progression. To do that Goodwin maintains they must use the stage presented to them this weekend.

“People who are scouting our players – and they are getting a lot of plaudits in Scotland and outwith Scotland, grabbing the attention of other clubs as well – a lot of them will be looking to see how they cope with a hostile environment like Saturday and to see what they are made of. Listen, we want to get the best out of the boys and want them to be at Aberdeen for a long time. We trying to build something here.

"But when the likes of Miovski, Ramadani and Duk are playing at senior international level [with Macedonia, Albania and Cape Verde, respectively], of course they’re going to attract some admirers. The boys we have brought in are top, top people as well as good players. They have a hell of a lot of development still to do. Duk and Miovski are still young. Ramadani is a top player with an incredible mentality and a great mindset. These players don’t fear going into any games. They are all made of top stuff.