WRIGHT JUST DELIGHTED McINNES IS REMAINING
IF there is a person at Pittodrie who is more overjoyed than Scott Wright that Derek McInnes is remaining as manager at Aberdeen, then they will be difficult to find. The 20-year-old winger was introduced to the Dons first-team squad by McInnes, but has been in and out of his manager’s plans.
McInnes had been the bookies’ favourite to take over at Rangers since Pedro Caixinha was sacked last month.
However, he unequivocally ruled out a move to the Ibrox club on Friday, after his chairman, Stewart Milne, announced on Thursday that he had received assurances from the 46-year-old that he would be staying at Aberdeen.
Wright was handed his debut by McInnes against Daugava Riga in a Europa League qualifier in 2014, when he was just 16.
Against Partick Thistle last season on the final day of the Premiership campaign, he bagged a hat-trick and launched himself into Aberdeen’s plans for the current season.
He has failed to consolidate a regular starting berth, but is gratified enough that McInnes gave him a start in the game.
‘It was music to my ears (that the manager was staying),’ said Wright. ‘I love working with him and all the boys are the same.
‘It’s nothing but good news that the chairman said what he did. I wasn’t too concerned about the manager leaving.
‘We knew there would be speculation because he’s a good manager, but we haven’t let it affect us. We’ve just kept our heads down and focused on the job in hand.
‘The manager hasn’t brought it up with us. Everybody has just kept working. But keeping him is a big coup for Aberdeen — he’s a great manager and, hopefully, the guy who will be leading us to glory.’
The Dons face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park this lunchtime ahead of the Betfred Cup final between Celtic and Motherwell at Hampden.
A resurgent Motherwell will be centre stage at the national stadium after flirting with relegation in recent seasons.
Killie appear to be heading for a similar scrap, sitting just one point above bottom-club Partick Thistle.
Manager Steve Clarke insists the job of lifting the Ayrshire club towards safety remains the priority.
However, his ambitious appointment last month — replacing Lee McCulloch — and positive results since, including draws with Rangers and Celtic, and wins over Partick Thistle and Hearts, hint that Killie could easily follow the upward curve taken by cup finalists Motherwell.
Clarke said: ‘I think for any Premiership club, you’ve got to be looking at not just Motherwell but Hibs, who have come up to do really well. Hearts, when they came up, did really well but aren’t quite as strong this time. St Johnstone have been up there for a number of years.
‘You look at all those teams and look at Kilmarnock. And you say, yeah, we should be on that level. That’s got to be the ambition of this club.
‘When we came in here, you’re looking over your shoulder, more concerned with getting distance between yourselves and the bottom of the table.
‘Those were the initial thoughts and what we’re looking to do just now. And if by getting that gap away from the bottom, we’re suddenly in touch with the middle reaches, then we’ll shift our focus to chasing them.
‘There seems to have been a little upturn in the positivity of the support. I’m not saying it’s because I came to the club. Just the fact Mr Bowie (club director Billy) and the board showed a bit of ambition tempting me to come.
‘The support has bought into that. We’d like them to come back out in numbers again this weekend and get right behind everyone.’