Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin is ready to build his team around midfielder Ross McCrorie.
McCrorie was used in central defence by axed Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass earlier this season, but has been restored to a midfield role since Goodwin’s arrival.
He made his return from injury against former club Rangers on Saturday at Ibrox and Goodwin is determined to make McCrorie – who turns 24 next Friday and is many fans’ pick to be the new skipper – his midfield lynchpin.
He said: “He can fill in at right-back and centre-back, but in my opinion we need to build a team around Ross McCrorie in the middle of the pitch.
“Ross’ best position for me is in the middle of the park.
He has got great drive, great determination and great energy.”
Goodwin is a huge admirer of McCrorie, who he believes has all the qualities to be a future captain at Pittodrie, having rewarded the player with a new deal to keep him at the club until 2026 in his first week in charge.
The Aberdeen manager said: “I want a team with great energy. It’s something I’ve been strong on since my time at Alloa.
“You need guys who can get around the pitch and Ross typifies that. We needed that energy in the middle of the park on Saturday.”
Central defensive duo making good progress
The decision to restore McCrorie to central midfield role has been made easier by the recent displays of David Bates and Declan Gallagher.
They have been the central defensive pairing utilised by Goodwin since his arrival at Pittodrie and the manager has been encouraged by their displays.
He said: “The centre-backs were good again on Saturday and deserve credit.
“They did well against Dundee United and they were okay against Hearts.
“On Saturday again, they looked good together, so we have to give credit to the boys for the way they defended.
“They didn’t have a shot on target in the first 45 minutes and only two in the second half.
“It wasn’t like we sat deep for 90 minutes on the 18-yard line trying to see it out.”
Players can take heart from Ibrox showing
The Dons may have left Ibrox with nothing to show for their efforts, but Goodwin believes his players can take heart from their resilient display in Glasgow.
He said: “There was a real fatigue set in with about 15 to 20 minutes to go and that’s why we ended up sitting as deep as we did.
“Ross hasn’t trained for two weeks. We made the kind of changes that we thought would help us continue in the press.
“But the lads put so much in for 75 minutes and they tired at the end.
“I don’t think anyone can say we parked the bus. We tried to be aggressive, pressed them and forced them into numerous turnovers.”
