Aberdeen interim boss Peter Leven has lifted the lid on the emergency operation which meant he missed the Dons’ win over St Johnstone – revealing the struggle to coach and make subs over the phone from his hospital bed.
The 40-year-old was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for surgery “out of the blue” last Friday on the eve of the Premiership clash with Saints at Pittodrie after an infection was discovered in his left hip.
Leven had previously travelled to London for an injection to treat the painful joint, which doctors think has suffered wear and tear due to the coach being left-footed during his playing career.
During the London visit, fluid was drained from Leven’s hip and tests carried out, with medics contacting the Reds interim manager to tell him an urgent clean-out operation was required when the results were confirmed on Friday.
Leven – who had already finished preparing Aberdeen for the St Johnstone fixture when he was admitted to ARI – explained: “I’d had an injection in it because it has been bothering me for a wee while.
“I came in from training on Friday and got a message from the doctor that I had to go to hospital straight away to have it flushed out because there was an infection in there.
“Initially I said I’d just wait until Monday, but they told me that wasn’t an option – it had to be done there and then.
“All I was thinking was I had a job to do and there was no way I couldn’t be on the bench (for the St Johnstone game).
“But the medical staff here told me that wasn’t a choice. The surgeon wanted me there immediately.”
Leven hailed the staff at ARI, adding: “The staff there were amazing. They saw me straight away and have fixed me up.
“They don’t know how it managed to get infected.”
‘I was screaming and shouting down the phone to Jonny Hayes’
Aberdeen’s media team hooked Leven up with a live stream for the St Johnstone game on Saturday so he could follow proceedings from Pittodrie and pass on instructions to the caretaker coaching team, which was led by Dons under-18s coach Scott Anderson.
Only being able to watch and communicate by phone from his hospital bed was “so frustrating”, Leven says, who laughed as he detailed the comedic manner in which his afternoon played out.
He said: “I was screaming and shouting down the phone at Jonny Hayes, telling him to pass on messages.
“He wasn’t passing on the messages the way I was saying them. I was getting excited, telling him to get boys tighter, and he was passing it all on very calmly – I was having to tell him: ‘That’s not the way I’m saying it!’
“It must have been quite funny to watch.”
Leven had to tell Dons fan: ‘Give me two minutes, I’m making a sub’
Leven revealed, at one stage in the game, a passer-by – who had heard the commotion from his room – came in to tell the interim gaffer he was an Aberdeen fan… while Leven was making a substitution.
Leven said: “Thankfully the hospital had me in a room on my own so I wasn’t bothering anyone else when I was raising my voice.
“I did have to tell one guy who walked past to wait a minute because I was in the middle of making a sub at the time!
“He popped his head round the door to say he was an Aberdeen fan, and I had to say to him: ‘Give me two minutes mate, I’m bringing someone on here.’
“It was a strange experience, that’s for sure, but I was just delighted we managed to get the win.”
‘Scott Anderson said he’d have hung up on me’
Aberdeen beat St Johnstone 1-0 thanks to Bojan Miovski’s 25th goal of the campaign, which came from the penalty spot.
Leven FaceTimed his players after the game wearing his hospital gown, giving them “a bit of a laugh”.
He has managed to return to the training pitch at Cormack Park this week ahead of Aberdeen’s trip to Hibs on Sunday – though he thinks he will have to rein himself in on the touchline at Easter Road.
Leven said: “I’m still in a bit of pain at the moment and I’m still on antibiotics for another week.
“But I’ve managed to get out there and have done training all week – although I’ll need to remember on Sunday that I can’t be getting too excited and running around the technical area.
“I think the rest of the staff are glad I’m back, though, because I was a nightmare.
“Jonny will be glad he doesn’t have to deal with me and Scott Anderson said that if it had been him on the phone to me instead, he’d have just hung up.”
Aberdeen can go seventh with win over Hibs
Aberdeen have the chance to go seventh – top of the bottom six – with a win in Edinburgh this weekend.
The Dons are the form side, unbeaten in six Premiership outings and having won their last two games.
But – although they defeated the Hibees 1-0 in the sides’ League Cup semi-final earlier in the campaign – they have yet to beat their rivals on league business in three attempts this term, with two losses and a draw so far.
Aberdeen’s previous visit to Easter Road ended in a deeply-frustrating 2-0 reverse.
Leven said: “Hibs are like us. They wanted to be in the top six, too – but they’re still a very dangerous team.
“With Martin Boyle, Emiliano Marcondes, Myziane Maolida, Dylan Vente and Elie Youan, they have a lot of firepower.
“Earlier in the season at Easter Road we were outstanding, even though we lost 2-0.
“We are going there full of confidence and will be hoping for the three points.
“The team are playing the way I want to play now.
“There are no excuses, because we want to finish top of the bottom six.
“That’s the challenge I set the players – I’ve told them they’re not on holiday yet, the fans are paying hard-earned money to watch us, so we need to be right at it, trying to win every game.”
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