Forrester out to win games not a big move
THROW the names Kenny McLean and James Maddison into the mix and Pittodrie might well be viewed as the perfect launch pad for a player’s career. Scotland international McLean is ready to embark on an exciting new adventure with Norwich City after years of sterling service for Aberdeen, while former Dons loan star Maddison has just earned a £22million move to Leicester City from the Canaries. New Aberdeen midfielder Chris Forrester might be forgiven for seeing himself as potentially next in line after the chairman at his former club, Peterborough, described him in January as worth ‘millions and millions’. The 25-year-old Irishman insists, however, that he views the Granite City outfit not as a stepping stone to elsewhere but as a club where he can simply settle down and impress. The praise bestowed by Darragh MacAnthony, who also claimed Forrester was the best midfielder ‘by a mile’ in England’s League One and had ‘plenty of big clubs after him’, obviously did not sit well with the former Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic player. He subsequently slipped down the pecking order at the Posh, losing the captaincy in the process and is clearly looking for a fresh start after his £200,000 move to Derek McInnes’ side. ‘It’s all about believing in yourself and not believing in what other people say,’ said Forrester, who made 129 appearances in three years for Peterborough. ‘I’m not going to listen to the opinions of others any more. That’s the main thing for me this season, not to get caught up in that stuff.’ But isn’t Aberdeen the perfect place for a relaunch? ‘I don’t see it as a platform for me,’ he said. ‘I see it as a place to come and win stuff. I’m not using this club as a stepping stone. I’m using this club to win stuff and be the best player I can be. ‘I got caught up in that over the last few years at Peterborough. I was like: “If I do well here I’m going to get a move to wherever”. I’m not bothered with that now. I’m trying to settle down. It’s just maturity.’ Forrester may be viewed as a like-for-like replacement for McLean. Though he played in a deep midfield role for the Posh last season, he hopes to play behind the striker for Aberdeen, where McLean largely played before leaving for Carrow Road. But Forrester, speaking from the Dons’ training camp in Cork, said: ‘I’m not Kenny McLean, I’m me. I’m going to come in and do what I can do. I don’t know how Kenny McLean played. I didn’t watch much of Aberdeen last season. ‘Hopefully, I’ll bring some goals and assists to the team and if I can do that I’ll be more than happy.’ McInnes was key in his decision to join Aberdeen. Having made just 38 appearances for Peterborough last year, compared to 49 the campaign before, he was not a first choice any more and his new boss has made it clear he has a part to play in the upcoming campaign. ‘The gaffer made it clear he wanted me, at a time when I wasn’t playing so well,’ he said. ‘It was good to hear somebody say they fancied me as a player and could see me doing this and that. That was the main thing: that someone wanted me. ‘It’s important for me to have a relationship with the manager and a gaffer who sees me as an important player. It’s down to me to show him what I’m about, so he can give me the backing.’ Aberdeen finished nine points behind Celtic last season, but Forrester believes they can push them all the way this time round. ‘Progressively, they (Aberdeen) have got better each year. ‘Hopefully, I can bring something to that and we can take that extra step. We’re not that far off from beating Celtic. They have dominated in the last few years, but we have the right manager. ‘He’s an unbelievable boss and he can take us to that next level.’