Aberdeen defender Slobodan Rubezic believes the current Dons changing room is the best he has been part of in his career.
The centre-half, who is in his second season at Pittodrie, has played a key role alongside central defensive partner Gavin Molloy in helping the Dons win all nine of their opening matches of the campaign.
The Montenegro international insists the dressing room harmony behind the scenes has been a major factor in the club’s flawless start under new boss Jimmy Thelin.
Rubezic said: “This is the best changing room I have been in during my career and everyone can see the team spirit is on a great level. We all support each other.
“Everything comes from the gaffer as he believes in team spirit. You never know, someone can be injured, and someone else will help the team.
“You need the whole squad.
“People are hoping it can be a great season and you see the excitement as they cannot wait for the next game.
“They start believing we can finish in the top of the league and fight with everybody to be equal on the pitch. It is nice.”
‘We can feel the fans believe’
Rubezic, who joined the Dons from Serbian club Novi Pazar in the summer of 2023, is delighted with the start his side has made to the season.
The 24-year-old believes the support from the fans has helped contribute to the impressive opening to the campaign.
He told Red TV: “This season I’m so happy we have started well and are building momentum.
“When you win games the time passes quicker. When you are losing every game is stress.
“We are working on the things we need to improve and winning games so everyone is happy.
“Since I came here, only after Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers did I feel as if there was a really good atmosphere but now it is after every game.
“People support us and can see we are pushing to do something. Even with the cup games it is not easy.
“We can feel the fans believe we can win the games. When it is hard and we are waiting to score they are supporting us.
“You don’t feel as if somebody is angry or saying you are playing bad. They just wait and they know we will score. It’s a nice feeling.”
Rubezic turned to his faith in knee recovery
Rubezic missed the majority of the second half of last season after suffering a knee injury at St Johnstone in January.
It was the second serious injury for Rubezic, who also suffered an ACL tear during the 2019-20 season with FC Cukaricki in Serbia.
He turned to his faith to guide him during his recovery which culminated in not just a return to club action but also the Montenegro national team for their friendlies against Belgium and Georgia in June.
Rubezic said: “I am raised in my family with my sisters and my mother and we are religious people. I pray a lot during the day.
“Sometimes I may have felt depressed but then I said to myself ‘okay this is from God and this feeling will pass.’
“In my head I was focused on finishing my recovery and try to make the national team in June and it happened; my wish came true.
“I didn’t expect they would call me up after four months of injury but they gave players a chance who they had not seen that much and I was so happy.
“My faith is important. You see people from Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro and Macedonia; you are raised in religion and we believe that everything comes from God and that if you do something God will give back. You follow the path.”
Rubezic’s pride at representing Montenegro
Rubezic believes his return to international football in June was a major turning point in his road to recovery.
The defender, who is in the Montenegro squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Iceland on Friday and Wales on Monday, said: “I needed the two games in June.
“I was scared because it was the international team and I had not played 90 minutes.
“The first game was against Belgium and I told the coach if I feel well I will say but if I don’t just replace me.
“My international team-mates helped me a lot and it was around 75 minutes of my first start in four months that I started to feel it.
“But I took the risk, everything was fine and I knew after my two games I would be sharp and ready for pre-season.”
‘Nobody cares who scores’
Rubezic has been impressive since making his return to the first team this season and capped his strong start by scoring his first goal for the club against Dumbarton in the Premier Sports Cup group stage.
The defender, who is a cult figure among the Red Army, hopes all his team-mates can experience the joy he felt at getting on the scoresheet.
He said: “I was so happy as for one year I didn’t have a chance to score. I hope there will come a chance to score my first goal in the league for Aberdeen.
“In that moment when I scored the stands jumped and they were so happy for me.
“I like now that nobody cares who scores. We do work on the pitch as a team and every time one player comes up who scores goals.
“I would like to see the other guy to score every game and feel that pride at doing something in the game.”
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