Ross McCrorie tipped to win Scotland honours following his move to Aberdeen

Derek McInnes says former Rangers player ‘will be a dream to work with’

New Aberdeen signing Ross McCrorie at Cormack Park. Picture: Ross Parker / SNS

An ability to play in several positions is one reason why Aberdeen were so desperate to land Ross McCrorie from under the nose of Hibs. There are, however, limits to the former Rangers player’s versatility.

He won’t, for example, be pressed into playing centre forward against St Johnstone tonight despite Derek McInnes’ lack of options in the area. As of yesterday afternoon, the Aberdeen manager had one player capable of playing with his back to goal – 18-year-old Michael Ruth. He is currently on the lookout for a striker on loan until January.

According to McInnes, while McCrorie can play “everywhere”, he won’t be asked to step in for the injured Sam Cosgrove and Curtis Main on his debut for the club. Aberdeen’s problems in that department intensified when on-loan Leeds striker Ryan Edmondson was forced to return to his parent club after injuring an ankle in training.

Ross McCrorie is the first player to move directly from Rangers to Aberdeen on a permanent deal for over 50 years. Picture: Ian Rutherford/PA Wire

“We feel Ross can do a job for us in midfield,” said McInnes, who confirmed McCrorie will come straight into the team in Perth this evening. “Playing centre-back is (also) something he can do.

“He will be a dream to work with,” he added. “It’s up to us to get the best out of him.”

McCrorie is unfazed by his status as the first Rangers player to make a permanent move to Aberdeen – albeit his first year will be “on loan” per the agreement between the clubs – since Alex Willoughby moved to Pittodrie from Ibrox in 1969. The fans, he said, have already been very welcoming.

“I am an Aberdeen player now. There are plenty of other games to be played,” he said when asked about the rivalry between the clubs. “Obviously, my sole focus is doing my best for Aberdeen and I will take each game as it comes.”

McCrorie barely had the chance to establish himself at Ibrox, which should ease his assimilation as an Aberdeen player. His last but one appearance for Rangers was as an emergency goalkeeper when he took over from the red-carded Allan McGregor for the last few minutes against Hibs last year. He also played all last season on loan at Portsmouth.

He says Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard “respected” his decision to move on in the hope of securing first-team football.

“That is what he said when I told him I wanted to leave,” he said. “Rangers then helped me to get things sorted.”

McInnes described the last few days as a “good week” after such a challenging spell when it felt like everyone was lining up to take a kick at the club. Although Aberdeen are missing a number of established first-team players due to a combination of injury, suspension and Covid 19-related issues, he is confident he can assemble a team with the ability to secure a win at McDiarmid Park. Four of the eight forced to self-isolate following an ill-judged and costly night out will return this evening, some in better condition than others. Craig Bryson, Dylan McGeouch, Jonny Hayes and Matty Kennedy have all been back working at Cormack Park this week.

“Two of them have treadmills in their house and managed to do some semblance of work, but a couple of them didn’t so we just need to get that balance right,” said McInnes. “All four lads are eager to play their part. It’s been a tough time for them.”

Aberdeen’s position at the bottom of the table alongside Hamilton Accies is not yet cause for concern. After all, McInnes’ side have only played one game. But they are still in search of their first goal of the season following the 1-0 defeat to Rangers on the opening day and are desperate to get their season up and prior to Sunday’s fixture against Livingston and next week’s Europa League qualifying tie against the winners of tonight’s NSI Runavik v Barry Town tie.

“For me, it’s all about the football now,” said McInnes. “This has been a good week for us. We’ve signed one of Scotland’s best young players. A boy who, I think, will become a full international. Getting Ross McCrorie in, we needed some positive news, and getting the four boys back to train has been brilliant in terms of just getting them in the building and putting the arm around them.

“I’m quite relaxed about it,” he added, turning his attention to the league table situation, where several clubs have taken firm advantage of their head start on Aberdeen. “I don’t like seeing us down there. I’ve never really looked at a league table in the first round of games. I’m pretty consistent with that but you don’t want to find yourself too detached. Getting that first win is key in any season.

“The fact we are two or three games behind now means we have to get our heads down and get on with the job. The schedule is going to be congested and being able to deal with it with the strongest squad possible is important, but we have to get through this period without key players.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director