Kamberi keen to strike it rich under new Dons regime
Swiss striker is thriving working with attacking coach after Aberdeen shake-up
HIS focus is firmly on the difficult Scottish Cup quarter-final against Dundee United at Pittodrie this afternoon and not what the future holds for him when his loan deal with Aberdeen runs out.
But Florian Kamberi admits he has been impressed by the groundwork which is being laid in the north-east for next season and beyond – Stephen Glass has been appointed manager, Allan Russell has come in as his assistant and Scott Brown is set to join as player/coach – and has acknowledged that he could improve as a player by returning.
The Albanian forward, whose extra-time equaliser in the cup win over Livingston eight days ago took that last16 match to penalties, has certainly enjoyed working under Glass and Russell in the past 10 days.
Russell, a journeyman professional with Hamilton, St Mirren, Partick Thistle, Airdrie and Kilmarnock in his playing days, is combining his new role at Aberdeen with his other job as specialist striker coach with England and will be at the Euro 2020 finals this summer.
Kamberi can understand why the Scot operates at such a high level in the international game and believes that he can become even more clinical in the final third thanks to his expertise.
“I think if you look at how many goals I’ve scored and the performances I’ve given, I’ve proved that I can play football,” he said. “It’s not always easy, you have to be consistent and always give performances. But I think I have showed in the last three years in Scotland, with the goals and performances, that I can be proud of myself.
“At the end of the day, it’s about you. You have to be confident, stay calm and never be disappointed if something isn’t happening. I’m still young, I know exactly what I have to do and I’m going to do it.
“But I know it’s still not enough. I always want more. There’s always things that you want to improve and with the right people, the right coaching staff, you can get better.”
Kamberi continued: “The training sessions have been good since the first day [that Glass arrived]. The training sessions are great, especially for us forwards with Allan doing striker drills almost every day. I think we can learn a lot from them.
“From the first day, he [Russell] has been giving us tips about action in the final third. The first touch is the most important touch to have the chance to score a goal. The finishing drills are very good.
“He wouldn’t be with the English national team if he didn’t understand the game and he’s training world-class strikers like Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford. I think everyone at the club is delighted to have a guy like that here.”
The 26-year-old has enjoyed good spells at both Hibernian and Rangers as well as Aberdeen in the past three years, but is unsure what will happen when he returns to St Gallen in his native Switzerland after this season ends.
“People like me here, so I can’t complain about that,” he said. “I’ve had a great time since I first came to Hibs. There are always ups and downs, but I’m very happy I came to Scotland. I’ve shown what I can do here, I’ve scored goals. But I have big ambitions. As a football player you always want to go forward and that’s what I’m trying to do. I came here to play football. As a young player, if you’re not playing then you won’t move your career forward.
“When I heard I had the chance to come here to play for
Derek McInnes and Aberdeen, it was a no-brainer for me. I’m very happy to be here now. I’m playing every game, getting sharper and showing what
I can do. That’s what it’s all about.”
Kamberi continued: “I don’t have a thought what might happen in the summer because in football you never know what lies ahead. You can’t plan something.
“I’m just really focused on
every game. I’ll do all I can to help the team and score goals. After the season is finished, we’ll see what direction my career takes.
“Of course, with Stephen Glass, Allan Russell and Scott Brown coming to the club, it’s a statement that they want to build something here. I’m not thinking too far into the future. I’m just focusing game by game, then we will see if good things happen.”