Pittodrie legend Frank McDougall is ready to say thank you to Aberdeen fans for their “incredible” support during his battle with illness.
Goalscoring great McDougall will be the Dons’ special guest at the Premiership clash with Livingston at Pittodrie on Saturday.
The 65-year-old will walk onto the pitch at half-time to greet supporters and admits it will be an emotional return to the stadium.
Club legend McDougall has been inundated with messages of support from Dons fans following his diagnosis with lung cancer in September last year.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year but was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to illness.
One of the club’s greatest ever players, the former striker will now be honoured on Saturday – and the Red Army are expected to raise the roof for the legend.
He said: “I have had thousands of messages of support from Aberdeen fans.
“Some of them have been incredible.
“Aberdeen supporters are amazing and they and the club are a part of my life.
“It will be very emotional when there are thousands of fans singing ‘There’s only one Frank McDougall’.
“It doesn’t get any higher, playing with a team like Aberdeen, the only Scottish club to win two European trophies.
“Playing for Aberdeen is something that will live with me forever.
“The Livingston game is going to be really emotional but I can’t wait to walk through that main door at Pittodrie again.”
‘All those people shouting my name, it will bring back memories’
The Pittodrie great confirmed in October he has been diagnosed with Stage 2 lung cancer.
He was inducted into the Aberdeen Hall of Fame in November alongside Duncan Shearer, Dougie Bell, Russell Anderson and the late Davie Robb.
However, he was unable to attend the ceremony.
On Saturday Aberdeen and the Red Army will honour one of the club’s true greats.
He said: “It will be even more emotional for me because of what I have gone through recently.
“I will go out onto the pitch at half-time to see all those fantastic supporters.
“I can picture it… and it is making me emotional now.
“All those people shouting my name, it will bring back the memories.
“I watch YouTube when I can’t sleep at two, three in the morning. Games like the Hearts one when I scored.
“It seems like just a few years ago.
“I’ll wear an Aberdeen scarf on Saturday.”
‘I would’ve smashed all the records’
McDougall was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 1984 from St Mirren for a fee of £100,000.
Ferguson signed him as a replacement for Gothenburg Great Mark McGhee who had transferred to then European champions SV Hamburg.
McDougall finished lead scorer in the Premier Division in his first season at Pittodrie with 24 goals to fire the Dons to the league title.
That prolific scoring return also secured the prestigious Bronze Boot award.
McDougall netted a hat-trick in a 3-0 defeat of Hearts at Tynecastle in 1985 to clinch the league title.
The following season he scored another 20 goals.
In that campaign he netted all four goals in a 4-1 win against Celtic at Pittodrie.
Sadly his career was cut short at the age of just 29 when he had to retire whilst in his prime at Pittodrie due to a serious back injury.
McDougall said: “It doesn’t get any better than to be in the Aberdeen Hall of Fame alongside all those tremendous players.
“What an honour.
“I only played at Aberdeen for two years before science unfortunately took its toll.
“I was a proper striker who could play anywhere.
“During my career, I played against the best, and scored against them.
“The Aberdeen Hall of Fame, the bronze boot, the league title and cups – what more could you ask for?
“It was just a shame that I had to retire so young.
“If I had been able to play on I would have smashed all the records.”
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