The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Derby swoop for Dawkins
Derby have signed Tottenham midfielder Simon Dawkins on a permanent deal after a successful loan spell at the English Championship club. Dawkins, 26, joins Steve McClaren’s men for £500,000, on a two-and-a-half year contract. Alan Tate is targeting trophies after joining Aberdeen on loan for the rest of the season.
The Swansea defender completed his move to Pittodrie yesterday and goes straight into the squad for tomorrow’s Scottish Premiership game at Kilmarnock.
The 31 year-old knows he is arriving at hisnewclub at a good time with the Dons in third place in the league andin the semi-finals of the League Cup. He is determined to make his stay at Aberdeen a successful one.
He said: “I have played in the Championship and League 1 and 2, so there wasthe lure of tryingsomething different.
“There’s obviously the semi-final to look forward to and finishing as near the top of the table really appeals to me.
“The manager told me about the big games coming up and he wants me to be part of them. It does sway you because you want to be involved in those type of matches and, hopefully, I can play my part in the club winning a trophy.”
Tate, who was vice-captain of the Swans, has endured a difficult last two years following an injury sustained on the golf course in August 2011.
“It spun and we found ourselves heading straight for a tree”
A key member of the team which won promotion to the Premier League, the injury almost cost the defender his career.
Having recovered, Tate has been on loan at Leeds United and Yeovil after struggling to regain his place with the Welsh club. He said: “The golf buggy incident at Swansea was just bad luck on my part.
“We had just come up to the Premier League and I played the first game and in the League Cup, and it went well.
“It was the international break and the players went for a game of golf in the morning and we were going to go out together at night.
“I was in the buggy with mymateandhadhitmy tee shot long and straight. My mate had gone right with his shot, though, and when I turned the buggy to go towards his ball it spun and we found ourselves heading straight for a tree.
“We had no option but to jump out but I got caught between the buggy and the tree and snapped my leg.
“I get no problems from it now but it was a worry at the time.”
The chance to play in Scotland represents a fresh challenge for the central defender, whocan also play at full back, and he has been doing his homework on his new club in preparation for time at Pittodrie.
He said: “Derek McInnes sold the club to mewith his idea on how he wanted to play. For the last 10days I’ve been waiting for the window to open so I could come here.
“I knowthe history of the club from when Sir Alex Fergusonwasmanagerand I’ve seen the Real Madrid game. I’ve also seen a couple of games on telly.
“I’ve done my research on the club and I know about the fanbase which is decent. It’s a good-sized city andScottish football will be a new challenge for me.
“I spoke to John Rankin, of Dundee United, on Sunday before the game and he told me nothing but good things about the club. My mind was made up by then but he reinforced what I thought.”