HOWE TIMES HAVE CHANGED
New Don for Stockley as old club splash out
Jayden Stockley did what he’s at Aberdeen to do by scoring against Ventspils in midweek.
But just hours earlier, when his old side Bournemouth shelled out a club record £15million for a Liverpool rookie, it showed exactly why he’s at Pittodrie. The 22-year-old striker made his debut at a provincial League Two club that had only just hung onto their existence. He left one whose acquisition of Anfield fringe player Jordon Ibe highlighted the money madness of England’s top flight and its new £ 8.3billion TV pot. For a young Englishman like Stockley, it was always going to be difficult to break into Eddie Howe’s first team and stay there once they’d reached the promised land. That’s why the Poole-born hitman is delighted to have teamed up with Derek McInnes in the Scottish Premiership. And although it’s early days, Stockley already looks like he could be a terrific signing, his goal off the bench in the Europa League a promising start. He said: “Bournemouth signing Ibe for £ 15million emphasises how di f f icult it is to make a breakthrough down there. That club has gone from strength to strength and they’re now in a position where they can spend that kind of money on players. “The talent in their squad now is insane, especially when you look back to a few years ago and where the club was. But they deserve everything they get because they’ve done it the right way.
“It’s just that the money is crazy. A few years ago they couldn’t really afford much, which is probably why I got a game.
“It’s great to see them making moves like that. But it does make it harder for young English players to get in at Premier League level. I believe that despite the big-money signings, English boys are capable of playing and if they get a run of games they can be even better. “Clubs need to ask themselves why they have academies because there is some unbelievable talent at every club not getting an opportunity. “When I started off at Bournemouth I just wouldn’t have believed that one day they’d pay £15million for a player. In my early days we didn’t even know where we’d be training some days. “But when Eddie came in you could tell he had desire and ambition in terms of where he wanted the club to be.”
Howe handed Stockley a first-team debut in October 2009 when the striker was aged just 15. And the Bournemouth boss has made such an impact on him in the seven years since that Stockley sees him as a future England manager.
Although he has been working with McInnes for a much shorter period, the 22-year- old has already picked up on a lot of similarities between the two gaffers.
And Stockley, who was loaned out to eight different clubs during his Cherries career, believes the Dons boss can help shape him into a player able to one day star in the English Premier League.
He said: “I’d go along with the suggestion that Eddie can be England manager. He’s very committed to Bournemouth and I think he’ll be there for a long time yet because he sees the club moving forward.
“But when you see what he’s already achieved there, there is nothing to suggest that he can’t go on to greater success.
“He’s someone I look up to and my relationship with him is good. I firmly believe he’ll be a genuine candidate in the future for England.
“When the club was on the up and I needed to go on loan for experience, he always had kind words for me.
“He’d always make time for me – that’s one of his best qualities. I’ve known Eddie for a long time – he was my Under-16 manager at one point – and he was very supportive of me coming to Aberdeen. He and Derek McInnes are very similar in their approach.
“Every manager is different but I’m getting good vibes here already. I’ve settled in really quickly and I believe I’ll become a better player by joining this club.
“It’s a really professional set- up at Pittodrie, similar to Bournemouth, in terms of the coaching and how they try to improve you as a player.
“I’ve still got aspirations, being only 22, to reach my full potential, which hopefully can be in the Premier League in years to come. But this was the right time for me to make this move.
“Aberdeen was such an exciting prospect and I grabbed it with both hands.
“I just want to repay the gaffer now because of the interest he showed in me.”
Stockley produced a cracking header against Ventspils on Thursday to give Aberdeen a 3- 0 cushion going into this week’s second leg in Latvia.
The service from Jonny Hayes was excellent and with McInnes looking to play two up front more often this season, the big striker can’t wait to get more games and goals under his belt.
He said: “It gives me real encouragement to know I’ll get that kind of service from Jonny and Niall McGinn out wide.
“I’m still building relationships with the players and when that comes it’ll make my job easier. We have plenty of strikers in the squad who all have qualities and want to start games.
“But we have a lot of matches this season, especially if we can stay in Europe, so we’ll need everyone. The Europa League experience has been brilliant so far but I can’t wait for the Premiership to start.”