Mackay-Steven: ‘Goal is the first of many’
Gary Mackay-Steven believes his Aberdeen career has finally taken off.
The attacker has had a disappointing start to his time at Pittodrie
He made more headlines for the embarrassing incident where he ended up in the River Kelvin during a night out than he did for his on-field efforts.
The former Celtic man hopes scoring his first league goal for the club against Hibs yesterday will show the Dons fans he can be a big player.
He said: “I’ve never lost my selfbelief, but I think I showed what I’m capable of and proved to the manager he was right to sign me.
“He has been great for me and I want to pay him back with good performances.
“All the coaching staff and the boys in the squad gave me great support recently and I hope what happened is in the past now.
“Hopefully, this is the first of many goals in the league. I want to make the headlines on the back pages.”
His manager was delighted to see the 27-year-old’s winning contribution.
Derek McInnes said: “I’m really pleased for Gary. He was playing because of the way he trained. I wanted a ball carrier and someone who could provide a threat from the wider areas.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him in an Aberdeen shirt.
“We have a few players we picked up who haven’t played a lot over the last year and become training players.
“Gary is one of those, Stevie May is another. They’re worth persevering with. Gary played with a freshness and enthusiasm.
“He tired but he will feel better about himself after playing a big part in a winning performance.
Aberdeen’s next game comes a week on Wednesday when Celtic visit Pittodrie.
Mackay-Steven says he has nothing to prove to his former club but is looking forward to the clash.
He went on: “When the fixtures came out, it was one I was looking for. I can’t wait for it.
“I’ll go in to the game with confidence and the whole squad is looking forward to it.
“These are the games where you want to test yourself.”