Considine loving new lease of life despite fears of Aberdeen exit
Revitalised defender admits he dreaded leaving Pittodrie after 18 years
ANDREW CONSIDINE admits he was gripped by a fear of the future and life without Aberdeen when confronted by the end of his 18- year Pittodrie career last spring. The defender returns to his former club for the first time on Saturday as one of the key performers for Callum Davidson’s St Johnstone.
Considine was an ever- present for Saints until illness denied him a place in the team for Monday’s defeat to Dundee United. His leadership and organisational qualities that have shone through this season were sorely missed.
But, only eight months ago, the 35- year- old ex- Scotland international felt anything like an assured figure.
Considine had only just digested the development that he was not part of Jim Goodwin’s plans for Aberdeen this season when it was time to address the reality of moving on.
To Considine, turning the page on his playing career after fully expecting never to feel the need for a new chapter elsewhere was a scary experience.
Finishing up as a player was a brief knee- jerk reaction, one that looks entirely unfitting in light of performances in the first half of this season.
Considine confesses he may have struggled to see the light at a time when it felt like the end of his football world, but the upshot of exiting Aberdeen is a new lease of life.
Considine explained: “I was scared because I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to finish my career up the road but it wasn’t meant to be, simple as that.
“The bottom line was my services were not required at the club any more. I did think about it and thought: Do I just leave it?
“But I love football so much and wanted to keep playing at this level. I got the opportunity to continue here and play every week, which is something I’m very grateful for.
“Sometimes change is good for you, getting out of your comfort zone. I feel it has improved me as a person and a player.
“It’s getting to meet new people, seeing how the manager here does things, how another club works.
“I’d been staring at the same four walls at Pittodrie for 16 years, then we moved to Cormack Park, which was great getting to experience a proper training ground.
“It was fantastic, a great facility and what the club should’ve had years ago.
“But this change has been a good change for me. And now I can see that I was more than ready for it.”
Considine’s comeback from nearly nine months out with a serious knee injury last season has been seamless.
Davidson identified the veteran as a cornerstone capture of his McDiarmid Park revamp, filling Considine with confidence by offering a two- year deal and assuring him he would play three games a week.
Millwall loan youngster Alex Mitchell and club captain Liam Gordon are just two players to talk glowingly of the veteran’s influence on and off the park.
Considine said: “When the manager phoned to give me the opportunity to keep playing in this league, I wanted to prove to myself I could do it.
“Last year was hard, I missed the whole season – I played seven games and that was it.
“I feel I’ve had a year out because I’ve plenty of energy and have been ready to go.
“So it’s maybe been a slight blessing in disguise. I didn’t want to drop down the leagues.
“Playing week in, week out was number one in my mind and I’m getting to do it, which is great.
“I feel reinvigorated. I’ll be 36 in April, I’ve played almost 600 games. It’s what I love and what I wake up for in the morning.
“Hopefully once I’m done, I’ll have a career in it as well. I’ve done my badges and want to coach, but want to keep playing as long as I can at the highest level.
“The drive is a pain in the a** e but, other than that, I’ve really enjoyed it. Even though I’m sick and tired of that road, it’s given me the chance to listen to podcasts and the radio.”
Considine will not have missed the angst over the airwaves when his former club’s recent form is discussed.
The four losses and a stalemate for Aberdeen since the break means that, intriguingly, Considine returns to Pittodrie to find Goodwin under colossal pressure despite a significant summer spending spree.
An away win would hoist St Johnstone above the Dons in the Premiership table.
Considine believes Davidson’s group has it in them to join the high rank this season.
“One route to success is having standards and the right mentality,” Considine said.
“It’s not just myself, there are other guys around my age here who’ve experienced a really high level.
“If we have that mentality, even in training, we’ll bring that into games. I’ve played with many excellent players and seen how other managers have expected high standards. The manager here expects them too.
“I can’t imagine how hurt everyone at St Johnstone was going through last season but it’s clear nobody wants that again.”
I was scared because I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to finish my career up the road