Former Don Brian Irvine believes Andy Considine will be fired up to make his return to Aberdeen a memorable one tomorrow.
Considine is in line to make his first appearance at Pittodrie in a visiting team as he prepares for his homecoming to the Granite City as a St Johnstone player.
The former Scotland international’s near two decades of service to the Dons came to an end in the summer when he was released by Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin but Considine says he has been reinvigorated by his move to Perth.
Irvine, who went through a similar experience when he was released by Roy Aitken in the summer of 1997, expects Considine to have added motivation on what will be an emotional return to his former club.
He said: “I can totally relate to how Andy feels. I had a similar situation before joining Dundee.
“It felt as if it was the end of my footballing world after being let go by Aberdeen – at the end of my testimonial year in fact.
“It took some time to process I was leaving but once I got over it I put my energy into doing well for Dundee and I played every game as we won the First Division championship and promotion back to the SPL.
“I played every week while I was there and it was good for me at that stage of my career. It reinvigorated my career and I’m sure it is the same for Andy.”
Pittodrie return will be special for Andy Considine
Irvine had a year to wait before facing the Dons while Considine had only a matter of months, having lined up against his old team at McDiarmid Park when Aberdeen ran out 1-0 winners in August.
But Irvine knows impressing at Pittodrie will be uppermost in Considine’s mind.
He said: “St Johnstone had a sticky start but they’ve improved and are now knocking on the door of the top six and I’m sure Andy is looking forward to coming back.
“Some time has passed and he will be determined to get a result on Saturday along with his team-mates.
“From my own experience it does give you an edge; not to prove the Aberdeen fans wrong but to prove you are still capable.
“Roy Aitken let me go and I know there will be a determination there.
“I wanted to show Roy he was wrong to let me go and it took me nearly two seasons as I played in the First Division when I left Pittodrie.
“When we came back up we played Aberdeen at Dens Park on the first day of the season but it was Alex Miller in charge by then.
“But we went up to Pittodrie in October and drew 2-2 before beating them 2-1 at Pittodrie at the end of the season when Paul Hegarty was in charge at Aberdeen and managed to finish above them.
“I felt vindicated in showing I could have played on at Aberdeen.
“Football is all about opinions but I felt as if I had proved Roy was wrong to let me go and I’m sure Andy will be looking to do the same thing.
“I’m not speaking for Andy, it’s really how I felt. When we won against Aberdeen, I wasn’t jumping about cheering.
“It wasn’t even Roy who was there by that point. There was an inner satisfaction for me.”
Dundee move gave Irvine fresh impetus
Irvine used the pain of being released to establish himself at Dens Park and he went on to play a leading role in his two seasons with the Dark Blues before finishing his career with four years at Ross County.
However, when it came to head-to-head games with the Dons, while he used the occasion as a source of motivation Irvine insists he did not bear a grudge.
He said: “It comes down to individual games as those are the situations where you can directly do something.
“It is not a vindictive thing against another club. We speak about players searching for motivation and they take whatever they can to get themselves up for a game.
“It’s more than wanting to make-up for a poor performance in the last game; it’s something off the scale.
Considine was ‘fortunate to play for the team he loves’
“Andy is still playing so I wouldn’t expect him to comment but like me, he was let go by a club he wanted to finish his career with.
“The opportunity was taken away from me just as it was Andy but in that situation, you have two choices – call it a day or use it as a motivation to go somewhere else and that is what Andy has done.
“Andy was fortunate to play for the team he loves for as long as he did. I felt the same. It stings initially but over time you come to reflect and be thankful for the years you did have.”
Dons will also be fired up
While Considine will need to no extra words of encouragement Irvine expects his old club to also be fired up for this one following a run of one point from the last five league games.
He said: “Aberdeen are in a sticky spell just now but they will be looking to get out of it.
“The draw against Ross County was the first of two winnable games for Aberdeen and they will have their own motivation to win the game.
“Having had a draw with County they’ll be even more motivated for this one as well.”
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