Fraser Hornby says the opportunity to become a focal point of Derek McInnes’ side convinced him to pick Aberdeen over a number of other interested clubs.
Stade de Reims forward Hornby has joined the Dons on loan for the rest of the season in a transfer deadline day move, which follows attacker Sam Cosgrove’s £2 million departure to Birmingham City yesterday.
Hornby, who has netted 10 goals in 18 matches for Scotland’s under-21s side, made the switch to France from Everton last summer, but has struggled for game time with just three outings for the French Ligue 1 outfit.
The 21-year-old feels the opportunity to play regularly at Pittodrie made the Reds his most attractive option, despite having other offers in the UK and abroad.
In an interview with RedTV, Hornby said: “I’m delighted to be here. It was something that I really wanted to do and when the opportunity came about, I had in my head this was the place I could come and show what I’m about.
“We’ve been talking [at Reims] most of the month about what the best thing for me to do is. I haven’t been playing as much as I would have liked to this season, due to a number of circumstances.
“We had the conversation towards the end of the window and we felt like it was the right thing to do.
“I was on board with it and it was something I really wanted to do, to play games and help the team out.
“I was on the phone with the manager a few days ago. We had a quick conversation and he expressed to me that he thinks I would bring a lot to the team.
“I didn’t need much persuading. There were other offers elsewhere, in the UK and abroad, but I was quite set on coming here. This was the place I wanted to come.”
Hornby will be familiar with a number of his new Dons team-mates, with Lewis Ferguson, Ross McCrorie and Connor McLennan having also been part of Scot Gemmill’s Scotland under-21 setup.
The Northampton-born forward hopes that can make his transition seamless, and he added: “I spoke to a few of the boys whilst talks were ongoing. I’ve got good relationships with a few of the boys here.
“Hopefully I can transfer that from the Scotland setup to here. It was another factor in why I really wanted to come here.
“Going into a team in January can sometimes be quite difficult, but I knew coming here I would be really comfortable and settled in straight away.
“I’ve been playing with a lot of the boys for a few years now, we’ve got a good bond both on and off the pitch and we know each other’s games. Hopefully that can be a good thing for us.”