Champions League may be lure for Logan to stay at Dons
Full-back reveals it would be hard to turn his back on a club destined for the elite European competition
I don’t know what I am going to do yet. I just take every day as it comes and enjoy every moment. I’ve always got a smile on my face
SHAY LOGAN has admitted the chance to play Champions League football next season could persuade him to stay at Aberdeen after his current contract at Pittodrie expires in the summer.
Logan has done superbly at Aberdeen, who take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a Ladbrokes Premiership match at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium tonight, since first joining them back in 2014.
However, the 28-year-old right-back has found being apart from his three young children in Manchester difficult and has indicated he may return to England to play in the future.
Derek McInnes’s men, though, are bidding strongly to land the Scottish title this term. A victory over Inverness this evening would take them level on points with Celtic at the top of the table once again.
Winning the Premiership would see Aberdeen go into the qualifying rounds of Europe’s premier club competition in the 2016/17 campaign. Logan has revealed it would be difficult for him to turn his back on the chance to play in the Champions League.
“It’s still to be confirmed what will happen,” he said. “I have yet to speak to the manager, but I am sure that will happen in the next few weeks.
“I love playing for Aberdeen. I love the city and the people in it. I’m part of a great bunch of lads and I get on with everyone from the cleaners to the ground staff who I talk to daily. I love it – and that’s why it’s going to be a big decision. I’ll have to take real consideration as to what I do.
“People say my family is down south, but I played down in London for three years before I came here so I have been away for a long time. People need to understand that football is a short career. My family will always be there but football won’t. That has to come into my decision. It will be on all aspects. It won’t be taken lightly.
“Anyone who has kids knows it’s tough. It’s not like people who work offshore and don’t see them for two or three weeks. Obviously it’s not the best, but you have to think of your career. The family are a big part of the decision, but not the only factor.
“I don’t know what I am going to do yet. I just take every day as it comes and enjoy every moment. I’ve always got a smile on my face because I enjoy being in this place. But Aberdeen being in the Champions League might make it a heck of a difference. That would be a massive thing.”
Despite launching a strong challenge for the Premiership for the second season running, many fans remain sceptical about Aberdeen being able to pip Celtic to the title. Ronny Deila has a far larger budget for players and his squad is larger and stronger than the one put together by McInnes.
But Logan believes the success of Leicester City in the Premier League in England this season has shown that it is possible teams can outperform others with far greater resources.
“There’s maybe parallels with Leicester and ourselves when you compare the funds,” he said. “You could say it’s similar with us up here in that people are thinking what might be good for football.
“Football is 11 versus 11. One side might have the better players, but the other might work harder, train harder, have fans cheering them on, or a better spirit.
“Leicester could win the Premiership with a team that cost £20million, when they are up against a side who have a player worth £60m. You could buy 42 [Riyad] Mahrezs for the cost of a [Raheem] Sterling! It just shows what can be done. People want them to do it.
“It might be similar in Scotland. Fans of different clubs outside Aberdeen and Celtic will want Aberdeen to win the league. Leicester are showing it’s not always about money. Sometimes it can be hard work and will to win. People want us to do it so it could happen.
“No-one is going to give us the results. If we win it’s because we will have earned it.
“Are we challengers? You just need to look at where we are. We don’t go around saying we are going to win the league. We just go into every game and hopefully get the points we need.”