Matty Kennedy insists he can handle the pressure of filling Aberdeen’s creative void.
The former St Johnstone winger was talked up heavily by manager Derek McInnes after signing a pre-contract agreement, before the Dons put an offer to the Perth club to bring his move forward.
Kennedy made his debut in the goalless draw with St Mirren on Sunday and has been a long-term target of McInnes’s.
The Dons boss has been desperate for greater creativity and speed in the final third and the winger hopes he can deliver on those fronts.
He said: “I play better when I’m settled, rather than being punted out on loan here and there. I’m happy to be here and it will be even better once I get my fitness up.
“I can handle the pressure. I won’t shy away. I want to prove I’m a good player, create chances for my team-mates and score goals.
“I’m confident so I don’t mind a bit of pressure. It’s good to hear the manager put that faith in me. He’s a great manager so I’ll take that confidence. I’ll do my best in every game and the pressure doesn’t faze me.”
Kennedy signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Aberdeen and was pleased to get the switch finalised, after being left in limbo at St Johnstone.
The ex-Killie youngster had not featured since the end of December, with Saints boss Tommy Wright reluctant to pitch him until his future was resolved.
Kennedy added: “I didn’t play the last two games so I was delighted to get it out the way.
“Tommy (Wright) told me he’d like to have played me but he wasn’t going to until it was all sorted out either way.
“I actually chapped his door the day I went to Aberdeen because I didn’t know what was going on and I said I wasn’t happy not playing.
“We had a bit of a laugh about it, to be honest. He just said it wasn’t fair on the boys or on me, maybe it was affecting me a little bit.
“It wasn’t an injury thing. He just said he didn’t know if my head would be right. I told him it was and it didn’t matter if or when I’d be leaving, I wanted to play.”