Ross McCrorie has turned down the chance to join Hibs and signed a loan-deal with Aberdeen ahead of a three-year permanent contract next summer.
The 22-year-old, who can also play in central defence moved to the ‘Dons in search of first-team football.
He spent last season on loan at Portsmouth in England’s League One and in total he has made 105 senior club appearances, scoring four goals.
Hibs’ Head Coach jack Ross is known to have been a long-term admirer of McCrorie and tried to sign him for Sunderland when he was at the Stadium of light.
He had a reported offer of £200,000 to secure his services at Easter Road but that was rejected. Rangers boss Steven Gerard told Hibs that the ball was in their court and another offer was made but the player decided to move north after a late offer from Derek McInnes.
McCrorie told Aberdeen TV: “It has been a very busy day. I wanted to come up first thing this morning to get everything sorted as quickly as possible.
“I am really looking forward to it. I have had a look around and the facilities here at Cormack Park are different class. I have seen pictures of it before, but when you actually see it in real life, it is very impressive.
“I know a few of my teammates already. I know Matty Kennedy, he is an Ayrshire boy the same as me. I’ve played with Lewis Ferguson quite a few times with the Scotland U21s, so it is an easy group to come into because I know a lot of the boys.
“I feel at the age I am at I just want to be playing regular first team football, that is why I told Rangers that I wanted to leave. It’s for the good of my career that I had to leave, to develop as a player and I feel as if Aberdeen is the right place for me to go on and improve myself as a player and as a person.
“I heard of Aberdeen’s interest a couple of days before I signed. Aberdeen is a massive club, so I was flattered when I heard the club was interested in me. I spoke to the gaffer and when he explained about the ambition here, that made it a no brainer.
“I wanted to come up to Aberdeen and I’m really happy that I will join on a permanent deal after this season. It’s a huge club. There is a lot of history around the club with its success in European football as well.
“Everything that the gaffer said was right for me and I felt immediately as if this was the place for me to come and develop as a player and to move my game on. I’ve played against Aberdeen in the past and what I liked about the gaffer is that he knew exactly how I played. He spoke to me about a couple of positions that I can play.
“I can play a few different positions, but I am more or less a centre midfielder. Last season I was at Portsmouth and I played right-back down there. At Rangers, over the last couple of seasons I have played in centre midfield. Being able to play a few different positions can help out the team and the gaffer and it gives him a few different options.
“Portsmouth are a massive club too, so playing there and at Rangers is good preparation for joining another big club here. It is a really nice area down there and the fans are tremendous. They were unbeaten at home last year and I think that was down to the fans helping them out. I really enjoyed my time there and they were unlucky that they couldn’t gain promotion, but it was a great experience.
“I have been used to playing under the pressure and expectations of supporters and I think I thrive on it. The expectation is really high at Aberdeen, you are expected to be up there and to challenge. I want to help the team out as best as I can and win a few trophies on the way.
“I am fit and available to play if required on Thursday.
“Hopefully I can then also make my home debut at Pittodrie on Sunday. My twin brother Robby is at Livingston. I don’t think we have ever played against each other at any level as we have always grown up together in the same team, so if we both play on Sunday, it could be the first time that we have played against each other!”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
