Considine just has to take the next step
HOW to turn a stalwart into a legend in one difficult step. Andrew Considine admits he needs to defeat Celtic in the William Hill Scottish Cup final to start laying claim to such mighty status at the club.
Appearances can be deceptive for the oneclub man. His name is up there with the silverware specialists in eras of great achievement but he has a paltry return of prizes in comparison to them.
The popular defender, boasting a 2014 League Cup final triumph, has been hurdling some stars of the Pittodrie past on the way up through the top-10 chart recording all-time outings for Aberdeen.
Play today at Partick Thistle then at Hampden on Saturday and Considine will draw level with seventhplaced Willie Cooper, right-back throughout the 1930s, on 393.
At the age of 30, he has Russell Anderson (407) in his sights and gazes up in awe at the classiest of company in Jim Leighton, Stewart McKimmie, Bobby Clark, Alex McLeish and Willie Miller.
However, that quintet and their monumental statistics had Aberdeen careers garlanded by glory days and winners’ medals. Those have been in scant supply for Considine. Until now, he hopes.
He said: ‘Before the League Cup final the manager said to me that, even with my amount of appearances, you don’t really get considered a legend unless you’ve medals in your pocket.
‘There’s a difference between a stalwart and a legend. Guys like Jim Leighton, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish. These guys have bags full of medals.
‘I’d need to play on into my 40s to achieve something like that — and I don’t really see that happening. I need to improve vastly on that front to be considered like that.’
‘It would be great to go and win the Scottish Cup full stop. But to end Celtic’s run would be great, too. Everybody has seen this season that, with their resources, they are vastly ahead of everybody else.
‘I think there’s a perception that if nobody lays a glove on them it will reflect badly on our game. That’s frustrating because I feel we’ve been very close to them on occasions.’