Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes Nicky Maynard can make the same impact at the Dons as Adam Rooney.
The 30-year-old former Bristol City and West Ham forward has joined the Dons on a one-year deal after his contract with MK Dons expired and met his new team-mates at the club’s training base at St Andrews yesterday.
McInnes, who worked with Maynard at Bristol City before he was sold to the Hammers, believes the Englishman can rediscover his scoring touch after a disappointing spell at MK Dons and has likened the forward to Rooney, who has broken the 20-goal barrier in the last three seasons at Pittodrie.
The Dons manager said: “The short time we had with him working with him we recognised his quality both on the training pitch and at the club.
“He’d come to Bristol City as a big-money signing but he’d found himself playing in a team that was at the wrong end of the table. He played up front alone a lot of the time and was a bit isolated at times.
“Nicky was always one who technically was a good player, really quick over the top, but, more importantly, a fantastic finisher. He has that calmness around the box, a real high level of finisher.
“It’s similar to Adam as when we signed him he hadn’t had it easy at Oldham. With the greatest respect if you’d gone to watch Adam at that time you probably wouldn’t have taken him. But I knew what we were getting with him – someone who, in the right team, dominating possession and creating plenty of chances, he would be a player who would score goals.
“We felt that when we took him and it’s similar with Nicky – we’ve a forward who can guarantee us goals, if we provide the opportunities for him.”
McInnes concedes there is an element of risk in signing Maynard, who has struggled since moving to the Hammers but having worked with the forward at Bristol the Dons manager believes it is a gamble worth taking.
He said: “He got a big-money move to West Ham but he didn’t play so much. He’s drifted about a bit and not played as many games as he’d have wanted and he’s picked up injuries.
“There’s an element of risk to it but we’re not going to be able to make a quality signing like that without an element of risk. He’s a player of real quality coming in the building.
“I think he’ll enjoy the change of scenery and the platform we can provide.
“He’ll like the profile that he’ll get in the SPFL, with European football. I think he’s looking forward to getting a slice of that.”