Joe aims to be a Dandy for life and he’s determined to split Old Firm in title race
Joe Lewis refuses to write off Aberdeen’s chances of finishing second this season.
The Dons’ goalie remains ambitious, despite admitting he put contentment before cash to remain in the north-east.
Lewis arrived at Pittodrie in the summer of 2016, and would love to spend the rest of his career at the club.
He’s so keen to stay put that communication with his agent doesn’t happen during transfer windows.
This afternoon, he’ll be at the opposite end of the pitch from Allan Mcgregor as Rangers return to the Granite City.
At 38 years old – he’ll be 39 at the end of the month – the Ibrox goalie is five years ahead of Lewis.
The Aberdeen skipper reveals he’s working hard to extend his career in the same way as Mcgregor.
He said: “Mid- to- late- 30s can be a keeper’s pomp.
“For me, I feel like I’m better with more experience.
“At 33, I need to maintain fitness and flexibility. I need to work hard in the gym and not stop for too long.
“The older you get, if you have a week of doing nothing, the harder it is to get going again.
“I need to keep moving, so I don’t have many days off.
“We had a couple of days there where there was optional training, and I did a bit at home to keep myself going.
“Allan Mcgregor has been fantastic, and he was a huge part of their win last weekend against Celtic.
“It’s good to see goalkeepers get the plaudits when you make contributions like that. I’m sure Allan’s playing with a lot of confidence.”
Aberdeen are unbeaten in seven league matches, with Rangers the last side to beat them, 4-0 at Ibrox in November.
Lewis said: “We always want better results. I don’t think we’re lacking confidence and the clean sheets have been good this season, from a defensive point of view.
“That comes from the whole team, not just the goalkeeper and back four.
“The reason we’ve had more this season is because the team is working harder across the whole pitch.
“We’d have liked to score more goals.
But I’m sure that will come with the hard work.”
Becoming the first team to beat Rangers in the Premiership would help the Dons chances of really challenging Celtic for second spot.
Lewis went on: “I’m not going to rule out finishing second. That would be silly from the position we’re in.
“I don’t want to target specific teams. We’ll just take it game by game.
“It has to be a target for us to finish as high up the league as possible, and second place is still certainly achievable.
“A Champions League spot for second place is certainly a carrot. Third place gets you further into the Europa League than previous seasons.
“But the teams around us, like Celtic and Hibs,will be thinking the exact same thing. They’ll be fighting us for it.
“Look at the run Livingston are on right now. You can’t write off anyone.”
The keeper will remain between the Pittodrie posts whatever happens. The way things operate at Aberdeen ensures that Lewis won’t be looking elsewhere.
He said: “This is a brilliant club, first and foremost.
“I’ve been at a few in my career – too many really – that aren’t well run and don’t have everyone from top to bottom pulling in the same direction.
“You can see from the outside, and you can feel it as a player, that everyone wants the same for Aberdeen.
“There are no agendas or anything. There are no selfish ulterior motives.
“Everyone just wants the best for the team and to have success on the pitch, which is what a club is for.
“We have a lot of supporters at the club. Everyone at the training ground and Pittodrie is desperate for us to do well.
“That’s important because I haven’t always felt like that at my previous clubs, where there has been in-fighting and a lack of cohesion.
“Financially, you can look for more money somewhere else, and a lot of players do that in their careers.
“I have no problem with people trying to make as much as they can, but there is more to it as well.
“At the end of every season, a lot of players will speak to their agents and have a chat about where they see themselves going.
“I haven’t spoken to my agent for years now! Well, not meaningfully about going anywhere.
“I’d love to stay for the rest of my career.”