New boy Roos vows to play finders keepers in battle to be no 1 hit

New Aberdeen signing Kelle Roos insists he is up for the battle to be the club’s no 1 keeper next season.

Dutch stopper Roos has joined the Dons on a twoyear deal having left Derby County.

Manager Jim Goodwin signed the 30-year-old in a bid to bring competition to keeper Joe Lewis.

Goodwin recently terminated keeper Gary Woods’ contract and said he felt Lewis didn’t have enough competition last season.

Roos aims to bring that competition.

He said: “You come to Aberdeen, it’s a big club, and big clubs have good players and they have to challenge for places.

“I’m challenging, Joe is challenging, everybody on this pitch is challenging for a spot.

“I want it to bring the best out of me.”

Roos confirmed there were clubs in England and the Netherlands interested in signing him this summer.

Aberdeen won the race because the Reds were more cut-throat in their pursuit of the former Dutch youth international keeper.

Roos racked up 91 appearances for Derby County where he also had loan spells at Plymouth, Port Vale, Bristol Rovers and AFC Wimbledon.

He made 18 appearances for the Rams last season.

Roos may be battling to oust Lewis as Aberdeen’s no 1 but admits there is a camaraderie with keepers despite the fierce competition.

He said: “You spend a lot of time together.

“Keepers quite simply have to make the choice: ‘Are we going to make it awkward all-year-round or are we going to work together and accept decisions about our position aren’t up to us?’ “It’s very simple. “You’ve got a gaffer, you’ve got a goalkeeping coach.

“I would say most of the time, the gaffer decides who plays.

“That’s not up to me, it’s not up to Joe. It’s as simple as that.

“For me, it’s a case of working together and performing to the best of my ability every day and hopefully get picked.”

Roos is quickly integrating into the Aberdeen squad at the Spanish training camp on the Costa Blanca.

Despite other transfer options, the willingness of the Dons to sign him really made the club stand out.

Roos said: “It’s been great so far. Everything I’ve seen, obviously starting with me flying over and meeting the staff.

“They’ve been warm all around.

“There was interest early in the summer.

“I think gradually we built up a feeling towards each other, that we I guess got excited about on both sides.

“I think what attracted me here was that this club really wanted to do it. I felt that.”

Keeper Kelle Roos joined Aberdeen from Derby.