Aberdeen midfielder Ross McCrorie has given young Dons fans an insight into his big sporting interest away from football – and it’s not what you might think.
Midfielder McCrorie, who has been sensational since joining on loan from Rangers before he completes a permanent move to Pittodrie next summer, answered questions from members of the Reds’ AberDNA Junior scheme this week.
In a tell-all Q&A, McCrorie was grilled on footballing and non-footballing matters, with youngster Fergus Roy getting the versatile player to open up on his love of angling.
“I did a bit of fishing when I was younger as well, because I’m only from a wee village,” McCrorie said.
“I would just go down to the river, do a bit of fishing and that was me.”
“I’ll go the odd time, but I’ve not been in about a year, because I’ve just not had the time.
“If I ever got the chance to go again I’d do a wee bit of fishing.”
Back on footballing matters, Kellen Bream asked McCrorie: “How does it feel to be the first Aberdeen player to sign from Rangers in a long time?”
McCrorie said: “That’s a big one. To be fair, there was a lot of stuff about it, but it never really fazed me.
“I’d been watching Aberdeen over the years and I was pretty big on coming up, especially with the manager Derek McInnes.
“I liked the style of play, their consistency and how well they’d been playing over the years.
“Obviously I’m going to get a bit of stick next time I play against Rangers, but I can deal with that. Hopefully we can beat them when it comes to it.”
Kellen followed up his no-nonsense opener by asking the 22-year-old Don whether preferred pizza or burgers.
The answer was burgers.
Meanwhile, Liam Airs asked McCrorie what his favourite Aberdeen moment so far was. The Scotland Under-21s star pinpointed his goal to secure the 1-0 Premiership victory over Kilmarnock last month.
He said: “It’s my first one in two years. It’s my favourite moment so far and hopefully there’s many more to come.”
McCrorie added: “It was quite difficult with the way it came over across the box. I had to take it on my left foot.
“It was a tight game and it was the winner as well.”
Other highlights of the session included McCrorie saying boss Derek McInnes should receive a knighthood like former Reds gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson “when we win the league” and revealing, after probing from Connor Easdale, his favourite player growing up was “all-action” Italian World Cup-winner Fabio Cannavaro.
However, McCrorie, who was only allowed to play football aged “six or seven” by his mum once he’d learned to swim, explained to Fergus his footballing dreams as a youngster didn’t stretch as far as winning the Ballon d’Or, or even playing in the Scottish top-flight.
In fact, his goal was to follow in his father’s footsteps and turn out for Ayrshire Amateur Premier League outfit Dailly Amateurs.
McCrorie said: “That was my dream, to play for Dailly Amateurs, when I was young kid.
“I’ve gone up a level from amateur teams. But I used to go every Saturday to watch him and think ‘I want to be like him’.”
To see the full video, click here.
What is the AberDNA Junior initiative?
The Evening Express and Press and Journal have joined forces with the Dons to raise awareness of AberDNA Junior – the club’s free membership scheme open to every child under 12 years old in the region.
The under-12 scheme is an extension of the successful AberDNA membership, which has swelled to 6,300 Dons fans locally, nationally and internationally.
The Dons want AberDNA Junior’s future supporters to be at the heart of the club by providing every child access to top-flight football and extending its reach into the wider community. Every youngster who becomes a member will receive a welcome pack with a voucher to claim two free match tickets as soon as crowds are allowed back to football stadiums and a collectible card featuring captain Joe Lewis.
As a member they will have access to discounts, opportunities to enter prize draws and special events and experiences.
The first one of which, open to all AberDNA Junior members, will be a Sign For The Dons day at Pittodrie. The first signing day was due to run in April this year but had to be postponed due to coronavirus.
But AberDNA Junior members will still get the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of their football heroes when they are invited to Pittodrie to officially sign their contract and be unveiled as AFC’s latest signing as soon as it is safe to do so.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack believes AberDNA Junior will help build the Red Army of the future.
He said: “Fostering the fans of the future is part of our journey towards a more successful club that delivers an exceptional experience at exceptional value. And you don’t get any better value than a membership that’s free!
“We’re on a mission to create an even greater sense of belonging among our fans, young and old, with a dramatically improved approach to fan engagement and that starts with reaching out to the fans of the future, making sure they feel really connected to the club so they become lifelong fans. Season ticket sales and AberDNA memberships make up around a third of our football budget and the more supporters we have, the more we will have to invest in the football operation, whether it’s the first team, the youth academy or the women’s team. We’re all part of the same Dons family.
“Through the AFC Community Trust, we’re already active in 23 schools, bringing a range of football-related activities to help close the attainment gap and help tackle physical and mental well-being.”
Supporters can find out more about the initiative at
afc.co.uk/aberdna