Gallagher agrees pre-contract deal with Aberdeen
ABERDEEN last night reached a pre-contract agreement with Motherwell captain Declan Gallagher. The 30-year-old Scotland defender becomes manager Stephen Glass’ second pre-contract signing after Celtic skipper Scott Brown. Gallagher has agreed a two-year deal at Pittodrie despite rival interest from English Championship outfit Cardiff City. Capped seven times for the national team, the former Dundee and Livingston central defender won his first cap in a 2-1 win over Cyprus in November and looks odds-on to win a place in Steve Clarke’s squad for the Euro finals this summer. Insisting that Aberdeen is the right place for Gallagher to play his football next season, Dons boss Glass said: ‘We are delighted to be able to add someone of Declan’s quality to the first team. ‘He is one of the country’s top centre-backs and played a prominent role in Scotland’s qualification for the Euros this summer. ‘Declan was highly sought after and we beat off stiff competition to get him here, but it’s really encouraging to see that he believes Aberdeen is the correct place for the next stage of his career. ‘We are eagerly looking forward to working with him when he arrives in the summer.’