LOSE LEWIS SITUATION
Joe: I’m loving life at Dons but my career was spiralling into the abyss at Blackpool.. facilities were a joke and our pitch was like a beach
JOE LEWIS reckons he’s living in luxury with Aberdeen having once become sickened by the seaside.
The Pittodrie No.1 is savouring his spell with the Dons.
But before moving to the Granite City, Lewis was wondering if his career was falling apart at one stage in crumbling Blackpool.
In two-and-a-half years with the Reds, his career has undergone a restoration.
Lewis is the foundation on which Derek McInnes is building his side and the 31-year-old insists it’s a joy to be a part of such a professional operation after his bad experiences on England’s north-west coast.
He said: “It has revitalised my career. Before I came to Aberdeen I was on the bench at Cardiff for two years.
“I went on loan to Blackpool where it wasn’t a good time to be at the club. It was spiralling downward.
“It was a strange experience. There was no real investment in facilities.
“The stadium was good but the pitch was like playing on a beach. The training facilities were horrendous. The changing rooms at the training ground and the pitches were really poor.
“You were going into completely dilapidated buildings.
“It was like going into a wrecked building.
“We would get changed and head back to the stadium for lunch but all you had were a couple of portakabins the staff used.
“The building itself looked as if it had sat there for 40 years completely untouched.
“There were temporary showers but there was no investment whatsoever in that side of things. I don’t know what it’s like now.
“I went to Fulham and played 19 games but I was struggling to find a way of getting my career going before I was given the opportunity by the gaffer here.
“I have taken that opportunity and enjoy my work here.
“I am very appreciative of what the club, the management and supporters have done for me.
“They took to me very early and hopefully I can continue to repay that with performances and winning things for the club.
“You feel at this club that everyone is moving in the same direction and weeks like this in Dubai show you what the club is trying to be.”
Lewis claims the personal touches matter. The really crucial aspects and the treatment of the troops inspire them to challenge for trophies and get into Europe.
He said: “You feel valued as players. If you ever have any issues or ask anyone for anything at the club they do it for you.
“They give you no excuses. You can focus on your football.
“A lot of players don’t realise how lucky they are but lads who have been to other clubs, where it isn’t like that and where you don’t get trips to Dubai or help off the field, appreciate it.
“The supporters took to me early on and I have a great relationship with them. I have a really good relationship with the management and the dressing room is brilliant as well.
“From that point of view I couldn’t ask for any more. My family enjoy it too.
“It’s a good place to live and I can’t ask too much more.”
The next stage for the Dons will be the new stadium and training base at Kingsford.
It will bring Lewis full circle from those bleak Blackpool days and prove once again Aberdeen are a club of some repute.
He said: “The training facilities are not fantastic at the moment.
“But for next season we will have a new building and new facilities to work with and hopefully a new stadium if that gets the full approval.
“You definitely feel as if there is something to be part of.
“It is more enjoyable to have a nice training pitch and good facilities. To be fair, the pitches we train on are not too bad but jumping on a minibus to and from training each day isn’t ideal.
“It would nice to be able to get changed and walk out to the training pitch then come back in the afternoon without having to worry where you are going to.
“It will have a positive effect on the club and it will have an effect on signing players.
“Finances come you sign players.
“But if you are a player with a choice between two clubs and one has its own brand new training facility and the other has you washing your own training kit, you will obviously be inclined to go to the better club.” into it when