I was Cappielow coach John’s removal man .. his stuff weighed a Ton SAYS DEREK McINNES
Derek McInnes’s tough football upbringing at Morton was the making of him.
John McMaster, one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Gothenburg Greats, was boss Allan McGraw’s No. 2 at the time and took the young midfielder under his wing and schooled him on how to succeed in the game.
But learning his trade at Cappielow wasn’t al l plain sai l ing for the youngster who went on to make his way at clubs like Rangers, West Brom and Dundee United.
He was even pressed-ganged into the role of furniture remover for McMaster in between cleaning jobs around the Greenock outfit’s stadium.
Now, the Aberdeen gaffer will turn his Premiership high-flyers loose on his old club when they face-up in the Betfred Cup semi-final at Hampden on Saturday with the prize of meeting either Celtic or Rangers in the final as the incentive.
McInnes admits he sti ll has a fondness for Morton, who gave him his start as a YTS kid back in 1988 and where in seven seasons he played more than 220 games.
He’s still a regular visitor at Cappielow to watch them and has the highest regard for their manager Jim Duffy who has steered them to sixth place in the Championship.
McInnes said: “John McMaster was the guy who really moulded me. He and Allan McGraw played me in the first team at 16 and I have a lot to thank them for.
to Erskine. There were six or seven of us involved on the promise of a reward at the end of it.
“We worked for five or six hours lifting all his stuff up to the house at Erskine but we weren’t allowed to go in.
“We even helped lift a shed in and build it, with the rain teeming down, but I kept reminding myself of the reward.
“At the end of it, with the last bit of furniture off the truck, he told us to take off our shoes and led us into the house.
“We were soaked through and he took us to a cabinet where he kept his European Cup-Winners’ Cup medal from the win over Real Madrid in Gothenburg in 1983 and said ‘There you go, look at it’. That was our reward.”
McInnes, who left for Rangers in 1995, recalled the strictness of the Cappielow regime and while it was often harsh, he still has a fondness for Morton.
He said: “We were told first- team players were kings and had to make sure everything we right for them.
“You could not go home till everything was checked. I was in charge of the dressing room and shower area and he would say ‘ Get it done right’ when you had already spent two hours cleaning it.
“It was a full shift and I have never worked so hard in my life.
“I’d get the train from Paisley at seven in the morning and would get one home at seven at night. But I loved it as I just loved being a footballer.”
His affection for the club has never dimmed and he admits he watches their home games when he can and even had McGraw as a guest at Pittodrie recently.
He said: “It’s a club that I like to see do well as I have a lot to thank them for.
“I go down to see them as often as I can. I always want Morton to win games and it’s great to see the good work that’s going on there now.
“I was eight-and-a-half years there and while I had a serious injury during that time, and it wasn’t always all singing and all dancing, I only have good memories.
“Allan McGraw and my old teammate Ian McDonald were up taking in our game a couple of weeks ago as I still keep in touch with them.”
Now, though, McInnes is plotting to hurt them at Hampden next Saturday but recognises that, even as favourites, his Dons will have to be at their best if they are to reach the final. He said: “We’ll be tagged favourites but it doesn’t give you any guarantees. “There have been bigger surprises than Morton beating Aberdeen in the semi-final so we have to make sure we concentrate and see the importance of starting well. “The motivation to get to the final will be screaming out of both teams. “Sometimes semi- f inals can be scrappy and a wee bit fraught with anxiety so it’s vital to go into the game with the confidence we’ve shown recently. “I am full of respect for the job Jim has done there. I’ve seen Morton a few times over the last 18 months and you can see good organisation about them. “They carry a threat and their inventive set plays keep you on youryo toes. “They’ve got a good thing going there and that pleases me but the importance for my club is there too.”