Shay Logan insists he knew his time at Aberdeen was up when Derek McInnes left the club.
The defender’s seven-year spell at Pittodrie came to a close at the end of the season when he was freed by the Dons.
He has stayed in the Granite City after joining League One side Cove Rangers, but Logan knew the writing was on the wall when McInnes was dismissed in March.
He said: “I understand sometimes your face doesn’t fit anymore and they want to go down a different route. It was made pretty clear to me that would be my last season. That was how it turned out.
“I had a great time there and the best moments Aberdeen had for a long time, I was part of. It was a good experience for me and the only thing I would change was the way it ended.
“I sort of knew when the gaffer had gone, it was the end for me. The gaffer was the one who phoned me up about going to Hearts – I think he was the one who sorted it out for me.
“I’ve got nothing but admiration for him and consider him a lifelong friend. Same for Tony Docherty.”
Logan believes Dons chairman Dave Cormack made the call to end his time at Pittodrie, but is pleased he left a lasting impression from his time at the club.
He said: “It wasn’t the last few months – I think I started three games the whole season, from someone who plays 36-38 games. Things happened that didn’t normally happen. Ronnie Hernandez was brought in out of nowhere.
“I didn’t play one game, then I’d play Rangers and Sporting Lisbon away. I was trusted in the big games, but the games you should win, I was left out. It’s just the way it is.
“I had a lot of talks with Derek McInnes – what a guy he is. For me, it came from over Derek’s head that it was going to be my last season.
“It’s a young man’s game and they wanted to bring Ronnie in and Calvin Ramsay into fruition. I understood it.
“From what I believe, yeah (it was the chairman’s decision). I had such a good relationship with Derek and Tony. Derek always said: ‘as long as I’m at this club, you’ll be at this club’. Those were his words from day one and in fairness, I was.
“I didn’t know what it was playing for a team like Aberdeen in a city like Aberdeen. You probably don’t feel that until you’re two or three years in.
“I think I knew how it was to play for a team like Aberdeen. I got it, I understood what it was to play for Aberdeen. I feel like I’ve done a good job.
“The games I’ve played and numbers I’ve reached, hopefully people will remember me for a long time.”