Jim had a two-year wait after making Dons ’debut in Europe
ABERDEEN face a tense trip to Slovenia this week as they look to carry on their Europa League campaign.
The Dons recorded a 1-1 draw in the home leg of their third qualifying tie against Maribor.
Thursday’s second leg will be an occasion when big-match experience will be vital.
Fortunately, Pittodrie boss Derek McInnes has a squad with plenty of strength in depth at the moment.
Celtic, on the other hand, were forced to give 20-year-old centre-half Eoghan O’Connell his European debut in Kazakhstan because of an injury crisis.
Back in 1967, Aberdeen played their first-ever away European tie.
They were able to give a youngster his top-team debut when they took on KR Reykjavik in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup.
Jim Kirkland was 20 when he got an outing at left-half, and the Dons went on to win 4-1.
Normally that would signal the start of regular involvement with the first-team squad.
But Jim had to wait more than two years before he featured again for Aberdeen.
He recalled: “I felt I’d been playing well for a year or two and thought I was probably due a turn in the team.
“I didn’t expect it to come in my first match in Europe, but the fact we won the first leg 10-0 at Pittodrie probably made it easier to put me in the side.
“It was the first time I’d ever been abroad so it was an enjoyable experience.
“Not many people saw my first outing because there was only about 1500 in the crowd.
“I was a left-back, but I played on the left of midfield that night, just in front of Ally Shewan.
“A big problem about getting a place in my preferred position was that Ally was just so consistent.
“He made 313 consecutive appearances for the Dons. Nothing would stop him playing.”
It was another significant game when Jim eventually got a second chance.
He went on: “I played in a reserve match against Celtic at Parkhead on the Saturday and was going to visit my mother and father.
“But before I left, coach Teddy Scott stopped me and said I was going to be facing Celtic again on Wednesday for the first team.
“That led to me playing 13 consecutive games for Aberdeen.
“I played in the first couple of rounds in the Scottish Cup as the club went all the way to winning the trophy.
“But I was dropped after we beat Clydebank to set up a quarter-final tie against Falkirk.”
Having a manager with a fiery temperament maybe didn’t do Jim any favours.
He said: “Eddie Turnbull was probably one of the greatest coaches ever, but his man-management skills weren’t always the best.
“He and I didn’t always see eye to eye, and I think that’s probably why I didn’t stay in the Aberdeen side for too long.”
Jim had a short spell in English football after being freed by the Dons in 1970.
He said: “Grimsby Town were the only team to make me an offer, so I went down there for a season.
“They were struggling a bit at the time, although they picked up after I left when Lawrie McMenemy took over.
“I was a bit discouraged at that point and decided to give up the game.”
Jim, now 69 and living in his native Lanarkshire, did pull on the boots again when he joined the police.
He played for the Scotland team and was once in direct opposition to former Aberdeen winger Ken Ronaldson against England.