Fired-up Graeme Shinnie is confident he has returned to Aberdeen a better player than when he left Pittodrie in 2019.
But he also reassured supporters he still plays in the same all-action style that made him a firm fans’ favourite in his first spell with the Dons.
Scotland international midfielder Shinnie rejoined the Reds on loan from Wigan Athletic until the end of the season.
Shinnie insists it was a “difficult decision” to leave Aberdeen for Derby County at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.
He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Rams, where he played alongside and was also managed by England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.
Shinnie reckons his time in England has made him a stronger player – and he aims to show that by helping the Reds to success this season.
He said: “I feel I am a better player because I have had different experiences playing in a different league, playing under different managers and different styles of play.
“That experience always helps, but I’m still the same style of player I was before I left.
“Coming back here one day was something I always had in my mind, because it was a happy point in my life.
“When I got the chance, it was something I desperately wanted.
“I loved it here at the club, with the management and the fans, so it was a difficult decision to leave in the first place.
“I wanted a fresh challenge and a fresh start, which I have had.
“I’m now looking forward to the challenge here again.”
Working with ‘unbelievable’ legend Wayne Rooney
During his time at Derby, Shinnie played alongside Rooney, England’s all-time record goal-scorer. Then, when Phillip Cocu was sacked as boss, Rooney took over the managerial reigns.
Shinnie said: “I enjoyed working with Wayne Rooney and was Player of the Year at Derby, which was rewarding.
“I played alongside him and under him, which was a surreal moment, but one I really enjoyed.
“He is a very, very good person who is down to earth and easy to talk to.
“Obviously he was a team-mate first then became the manager, making that transition to leading the club, so I saw both sides of it.”
Derby supporters named Shinnie Player of the Year for the 2020-21 season.
Shinnie made 96 appearances, scoring six times, for the Rams.
Shinnie said: “He (Rooney) was unbelievable to me, he helped me out when I needed it and was always there.
“He’s the kind of person you could phone up right now and he’d chat to you for an hour.
“That’s the kind of guy he is and I can’t speak highly enough about him.
“With people like him you often think they’ll be different to ‘normal’ people and put them on a pedestal a bit.
“But once you meet them and get to know them, they’re just like all of us.
“In that environment, we were all fighting for the same thing when he came in as a player.
“It was nice to see how down to earth he was and it was enjoyable to share a dressing room with him.
“For him to play at the level he did and want to play me as a player gave me a good feeling as well.
“He had a style of play that was different to what I had played before.
“He wanted to push the full-backs on and get the central midfielders out wide to make overloads… to play out from the back.
“It was a big responsibility, but one I enjoyed and one I had to adapt to and learn.
“The more experiences there are, the better you get.”
Respect for England scoring legend grew during Derby administration nightmare
A Champions League winner with Manchester United, Rooney wanted to keep Shinnie at Derby last January.
He admitted the decision to sell Shinnie to Wigan was out of his hands due to Derby’s financial problems.
Derby were sitting second bottom of the Championship when Shinnie was sold, with the club having been deducted 21 points after entering administration.
Shinnie said: “He did a phenomenal job through a very difficult time at Derby.
“He was everyone’s go-to-person – that included staff and he would have meetings with everyone.
“I have even more of an admiration for what he did through those hard times.”
Shinnie aims to drag Goodwin’s Dons back to winning ways
Shinnie goes straight into the Aberdeen squad for today’s Premiership clash with St Johnstone at Pittodrie.
He has joined a team in a five-game winless slump – and aims to get Jim Goodwin’s Reds back on track.
Shinnie said: “The team needs results.
“I think performance-wise it has been good, but it comes down to results.
“If you are not winning games, there’s a frustration that comes from the fans.
“The position in the league is still good, but other teams are catching up.
“It is a case of getting back to winning ways as much as possible and I am in to help as much as I can
“My full focus is on Saturday to try to try to turn it around and get a winning run.”
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