Dimitar Mitov is determined to hit top form with Aberdeen to help win the battle to become Bulgaria’s No 1.
The 27-year-old is currently with the Bulgarian squad ahead of Nations League fixtures against Belarus and Northern Ireland.
Capped three times, Mitov is in a three-way battle to become Bulgaria’s first choice keeper.
He faces competition from Bulgarian based Ivan Dyulgerov, 25, (CSKA Sofia) and Svetoslav Vutsov (Slavia Sofia) who both have six caps.
Bulgaria manager Ilian Iliev has said the No.1 spot is up for grabs and that this Nations League camp will be key to his decision.
Mitov met up with the Bulgarian squad on a high having delivered a superb penalty save in the 1-0 win against Ross County at the weekend.
The summer signing’s form has been key in Aberdeen racing to a perfect start to the season with nine wins from nine games in all competitions.
Mitov said: “I’m an ambitious man and my ambition is to become the regular goalkeeper for Bulgaria.
“I’ve been capped three times for my country now so I want to cement that number one spot there as well.
“Playing for Aberdeen, a huge football club, gives me a great opportunity and a great platform for when I am with the Bulgaria national team.
“I feel able to perform with them (Bulgaria) and cement that number one spot.”
Bulgarian squad in transition
Bulgaria kickstart their Nations League campaign against Belarus away on Thursday before a home clash with Northern Ireland three days later.
The match against Belarus will be played at the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, a neutral venue.
Mitov said: “It’s going to be tough, because this day and age there’s no bad national teams anymore.
“So for us it’s just about going there and trying to put on a performance so we can win the game.
“The kind of group we are, we like to think every game is winnable.
“Focusing on ourselves, we have a good group.
“The team has been through a bit of a transition in the last few years.
“There’s players who have been in the national team for a very long time.
“And there’s also players that are just having their first steps into it.
“It is a really good mix.”
‘It is a young, hungry group’
Aberdeen triggered a release clause to secure Mitov from St Johnstone for an undisclosed six-figure sum this summer.
Mitov signed a three-year deal at Pittodrie.
The keeper has conceded just three goals in the eight games he has started for the Dons, registering five clean sheets.
Bulgaria suffered a disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign when finishing bottom of their group with just four points from eight games.
However Mitov, who secured a debut cap in a friendly against Iran last September, is confident Bulgaria are on the rise.
He said: “It’s a young, hungry group that the manager wants to build.
“The squad has a strong team spirit when together.
“With the players we have and the management team, sooner or later results for our country will come back.”
Inspired by legendary 1994 team
Finishing bottom of a Euro 2024 qualifying group is far removed from Bulgaria’s halcyon days in the nineties.
In 1994 Bulgaria reached the semi-final of the World Cup, losing 2-1 to Italy.
That Bulgarian team included Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov who won the Ballon d’Or later that year.
In the starting XI for Bulgaria in the World Cup semi-final were two players who would later star for Aberdeen – Iliyan Kiryakov and Tsanko Tsvetanov.
Full-back Kiryakov, capped 56 times, played for the Dons from 1996-2000.
Defender Tsvetanov was at Pittodrie from 1996-1998, and was capped 40 times.
Mitov said: “The best team we ever had was the 1994 one.
“The players we’ve had over the years, they played in the top five European leagues.
“And there was also a Ballon d’Or winner.
“We don’t have that at the moment, unfortunately, but what we have right now is a really good collective team.
“I think sometimes having a collective is better than having just individual players.
“That offers a great opportunity for us to push forward and see how far we can get.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been in a major tournament.
“I really hope that with the group of players we have, that’s going to be achievable one day.”
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