Frank McDougall is convinced he could have eclipsed Joe Harper’s standing as Aberdeen’s all-time leading goalscorer had his career not been cut short due to injury.
The 64-year-old is the latest addition to Aberdeen’s 2022 hall of fame class and will join Press and Journal columnist Duncan Shearer, Dougie Bell, Russell Anderson and the late Davie Robb in being inducted at the Chester Hotel in November.
His time with the Dons may have been brief but it was certainly eventful as he scored 44 goals in 69 appearances before a back injury forced him to retire at the age of 29.
McDougall has no regrets but it is a measure of how prolific he was at the Dons that the forward believes he was on course to eclipse Harper’s 205 goals for the club before injury curtailed his career.
He said: “I am not one for looking back on my career too often and I’ve no regrets at how things turned out.
“But I would have smashed Joe’s record.
“Had I stayed fit, with the quality of players we had and the chances we created I would have bettered it, I’m sure of it, but that’s life.”
Former Don’s pride at hall of fame inclusion
The former Don is humbled to be held in such high regard following the news he is to be inducted in November.
He said: “It’s brilliant. I got the news last week I was being inducted and it’s humbling. I’m very proud.
“I’m going in alongside some great company and honours don’t come much higher than being inducted into Aberdeen’s hall of fame alongside some fantastic players.”
…it’s humbling. I’m very proud.”
McDougall, who moved to the Dons from St Mirren in 1984, made an instant impact at Pittodrie, scoring 24 goals in 30 appearances in his first season with the club as he finished the leading scorer in the Premier Division.
McDougall’s goals helped the Dons win the league championship with the highlight coming in his hat-trick to clinch the title in a 3-0 win against Hearts at Tynecastle.
The striker’s rich vein of form in front of goal continued in the 1985-86 season where he scored a further 20 goals in 38 appearances, including a remarkable four-goal haul in the 4-1 rout of Celtic at Pittodrie.
The Dons went on to win the Scottish Cup and League Cup that season ensuring McDougall secured all three domestic trophies in 24 months.
A back injury forced McDougall into retirement during the 1986-87 campaign.
But with a piece of silverware collected on average every 23 games, it is clear how big an impact McDougall made in his brief spell with the club.