STEWART STEAL A DELIGHT FOR DONS
McInnes seals deal for forward to stun Killie boss Clarke
GREG STEWART last night sealed a sensational loan return to Aberdeen after snubbing the chance to go back to Kilmarnock.
And the 28-year-old forward is expected to go straight into Derek McInnes’ team for today’s Scottish Cup fourth-round clash with Stenhousemuir at Pittodrie after the Dons secured a deal with his parent club Birmingham City.
But his decision to opt for a second spell at Pittodrie will have come as a severe blow to Killie boss Steve Clarke, who had hoped Stewart might prefer another stint at Rugby Park where he spent an impressive first half of this campaign, scoring eight times in 16 games.
Stewart proved less successful in his initial loan stay at Aberdeen last season, netting three goals in 33 games, but his rejuvenation under Clarke at Ayrshire clearly caught the eye of McInnes (below, right) who will expect him to continue his blistering form in the Granite City. The former Dundee and Cowdenbeath player was recalled from Kilmarnock by Birmingham this month amid expectations that the English Championship club would seek a fee for the final six months of his contract.
But the Dons have now stolen a march on their Premiership rivals by taking him back on loan — potentially with a view to making the deal permanent in the summer — and McInnes was clearly thrilled that Stewart has chosen his side ahead of other options.
‘I’m delighted we’ve managed to secure the services of Greg until the end of the season,’ he told the club’s official website.
‘He’s a player we enjoyed working with before and he’s been in fantastic form recently. Hopefully he can carry that on for Aberdeen.
‘Greg had offers from elsewhere but he chose us, which says a lot about him and about Aberdeen. I’m looking forward to him being a prominent player for us in the second half of the season.’
McInnes also looks set to lure another former Aberdeen player, defender Joe Shaughnessy, back to Pittodrie from St Johnstone.
Saints boss Tommy Wright yesterday admitted he can’t win a wages war with the Dons but that he hasn’t given up hope of convincing his skipper to extend his stay in Perth.
Wright confirmed that the Dons have been in touch about the out-of-contract 26-year-old, four years after he was cut loose from the club.
Irishman Shaughnessy has gone from Aberdeen cast-off to club captain under Wright’s guidance, clocking up around 150 starts for St Johnstone.
Despite uncertainty clouding his future, he will lead Saints into today’s Scottish Cup clash with Hamilton Accies.
‘We made Joe an offer a while back and were informed by his adviser that there was a lot of interest in Scotland and England,’ said Wright.
‘Only one club has contacted us and that’s Aberdeen, so I don’t know if his adviser is speaking to anyone else.
‘Aberdeen have done things properly, Derek and I have had a conversation about it. ‘They are the only club to have contacted us, so if his adviser is speaking to others then they’re not doing it as properly as Aberdeen. We have made Joe a second offer which is a very good one for us. ‘When the likes of Aberdeen, who are higher up the food chain than us, come along we can’t compete with that. ‘But the hope I am hanging on to is that Joe has consistently told us he wants to stay. I hope he has a look at where he’s best placed to keep playing.
‘When we signed him he had been released by Aberdeen. We told him we’d play him as a centre-half and he would get his opportunity here.
‘Everything we promised him when he arrived here has happened. He’s developed well, he’s improved and I still think there is a bit of improvement to come from him.’
The arrivals of Stewart and potentially Shaughnessy at Aberdeen could yet coincide with the departures of two Dons mainstays who are free agents this summer.
Skipper Graeme Shinnie is being linked with several clubs in the English Championship while Gary Mackay-Steven has been given time to explore a potential move to MLS side New York City. Both have been offered lucrative contract extensions to stay.
In the meantime, MackaySteven returns to action today for the first time since suffering a serious head injury in the Betfred Cup final defeat by Celtic, while on-loan Watford defender Tommie Hoban is available after three months on the sidelines.
Max Lowe goes straight back into the team after the left back’s loan from Derby was renewed this week, leaving Mikey Devlin as the only notable absentee as the Dons approach full strength for the second half of the season.
Aberdeen suffered a humiliating defeat in their only previous Scottish Cup meeting with Stenhousemuir 25 years ago. But Mark Reynolds, who also returns to McInnes’ first-team squad for the first time since rupturing his cruciate ligament in pre-season, says there’s no chance of a repeat as they will treat the League One club with the utmost respect.
‘If we go in thinking this is a formality and we only have to turn up to win, that is more often than not when you get beaten,’ he said.
‘We will go into this game taking it as seriously as we take every other match and we will make sure we know all about their strengths and weaknesses.’