McGinn cuts hols to get on ball
NIALL McGINN will cut his summer holidays short to make sure he and Aberdeen aren’t caught short in their European charge.
The 30-year-old endured a frustrating end to the season through injury and watched from the sidelines as a final-day win at Celtic clinched second spot.
So while others may dread a return to training after an energy-sapping season, the winger has vowed to be back through the door a week before his Pittodrie pals.
The Dons enter the Europa League at the second stage of qualifying and will discover next week who they’ll face when their campaign kicks off come the end of July.
The Northern Ireland star, in his second spell in the Granite City, said: “I had a frustrating end to the last campaign picking up a few niggly injuries.
“But I’ve had a good break now which has been really beneficial. I haven’t had one for a long time.
“We come back near the end of June – around the 24th or 25th – but I’m going in around a week prior to that to give myself a good amount of time with the physios before I go back into full training.
“I want to get myself ready to go and am determined to do well for the team. I’m really excited about the season.
“We have European football again and I really look forward to playing in those games at the start of the campaign.
“Hopefully we can do well in the Europa League then make a strong start domestically, which can build belief we can have another good season.”
Aberdeen finished best of the rest for the fourth year in a row BY STEVE BEACOM but McGinn reckons the latest stands above them all in Derek McInnes’s five-year reign – even if he feels the recognition for beating Rangers didn’t follow.
The ex-Celtic player said: “I believe we probably haven’t got the credit we deserved but we’ve always been a team that goes under the radar.
“It’s normal in Scotland to talk about Celtic and Rangers but considering how the boys went to Celtic Park on the last day of the season under massive pressure and won to finish second was unbelievable.
“The lads went into that game knowing if Rangers won at Hibs and we lost, Rangers would finish second – so to achieve what we did was fantastic.
“It was probably our best achievement in the league under Derek McInnes. To finish above Rangers last season was huge considering the financial side of things and the difference in that aspect between the two clubs. I’m not sure we were recognised as much as we should have been for that.
“This season it will be the same again for us – aiming to be consistent. As a squad we’re losing a few players and now it’s about the manager recruiting well as he always has done. The manager will be on the ball.”
McGinn was in Belfast this week doing his coaching badges with ex-Chelsea star Ricardo Carvalho for company.
He said: “You’re out of your comfort zone. For years and years you listen to managers, hear their points and try to carry out their instructions.
“You know as a player you’re developing and can understand the game really well and know what your role is. You progress and get better each year as a professional footballer. With coaching you have to put your ideas across and communicate them effectively to others.
“We’ve been listening to the right people and learning from each other. We know we just won’t walk into a session and be brilliant.”