Up-and-coming Aberdeen goalkeeper Rodrigo Vitols has revealed how first-team figures – including Dons boss Jimmy Thelin, head of goalkeeping Craig Hinchcliffe and club No.1 Dimitar Mitov – are helping get him ready for senior football.
The 17-year-old says new Reds manager Jimmy Thelin – who has a flawless 12 wins from 12 since his appointment – has “set a real spotlight” for young players to train with the first-team squad and “see the structure” he has implemented tactically following his arrival in the summer.
Vitols added Thelin – who twice led Swedish club Elfsborg to Allsvenskan runners-up finishes – is also more than happy to talk football with the Dons’ youngsters around Cormack Park.
The youth keeper said: “Obviously he’s busy, but we see him every day in the building and it’s always good to ask questions, just to get as much knowledge as you can out of him, because he’s a really good coach and he’s proven it.”
Hinchcliffe pinpointing where things are going right and wrong for Vitols
Over the summer, former Elgin City and Arbroath goalie Hinchcliffe joined Thelin’s staff to replace previous head of goalkeeping Craig Samson.
Vitols says goalie coach Hinchcliffe has been giving him pointers to “improve my game”, adding: “He’s always making it easier for me and helping me out if situations are tough – pinpointing where things have gone right, or where things have gone wrong.
“It’s the same as last year – Sammy was brilliant at it.”
Vitols thinks the “good points” of his goalkeeping game at present are “communication and distribution”, but he can “work on some things, like crosses and my positioning.”
He added: “Having people like Craig sit down and analyse those things helps so much.”
Mitov providing advice and inspiration
Crosses and commanding the penalty area are specialties of Aberdeen’s first-choice keeper Dimitar Mitov – with the Bulgarian proving a hit since his own arrival from St Johnstone over the summer.
Vitols says Mitov is not only giving him advice, but a level of goalkeeping to aspire to.
“Having somebody like Dimi in the building every day, it’s great to go and ask questions, because he’s dealt with so many situations,” Vitols said.
“It’s good to have him as a role model, because he’s willing to help, and just watch how he plays… I can try to add a few things into what I’m doing as well.
“Dimi has a lot of confidence and that’s something I want to have.
“He’s a great guy around the building and always good to get a good chat or a laugh out of him.
“And it’s not just him – it’s quite a lot of the first-team boys.”
Vitols: I got work-ethic from Latvian parents
Vitols – part of the double-winning Aberdeen under-18s team last season – was born in Scotland to Latvian parents.
He grew up in Fraserburgh, but has been capped at U17 level by Latvia.
The keeper thinks inheriting his parents’ work-ethic has been a key trait in helping take him from juvenile club Fraserburgh Link-up to full-time football with Premiership giants Aberdeen.
Vitols said: “The main reason for them to move over was to work – they’ve been working hard their whole lives and thought of Scotland as a great opportunity.
“They’ve just been pushing that on to me my whole childhood as well, and I think that’s what got me to Aberdeen.
“I think I have something I can show, and I just want to go out there and do the work on it.”
Aberdeen youngsters hope for big Uefa Youth League crowd
While the Dons’ U18s have made “quite a slow start” to their Club Academy Scotland Elite League title defence, thanks to last term’s success the Reds’ young players are preparing to kick-off alongside the best of Europe in the Uefa Youth League later this month.
On the evening of Wednesday, October 23, an Aberdeen U19 side will host Hungary’s Puskas Akademia at Pittodrie in the second round first leg, before travelling to Hungary for the return.
Vitols says Aberdeen are determined to make the most of their hard-earned Euro opportunity ahead of the tie, with some of Europe’s biggest names lying in wait in later rounds.
“We’ve worked so hard for it (Euro campaign) last season and we’ve earned it,” he said.
“The boys know how much of a test it will be, and we don’t want it to be our only European games – we want to go out there and show everyone we’re a capable team and we can go and play anywhere against good teams and put in a fight.
‘We need to keep working hard’
“Our aim is to get as far as we can. We are a good enough team to really get quite far. We just need to keep working hard, keep a level mindset and not underestimate anything about the other team.
“They probably have the same ambition as us to really get far in this competition.
“If they’ve got this far, we think they’ll be a real good challenge.”
In May, Aberdeen U18s received their CAS Elite League silverware following a dramatic late win over Celtic – with Dons fans packing Pittodrie’s Main Stand for trophy night.
Vitols hopes to experience the same raucous backing for the home Uefa Youth League clash with Puskas, saying: “I think having that crowd at Pittodrie was different – we’ve never had that big a crowd before for an under-18s game.
“For the first five minutes, it is quite surreal, but after that you have a game to play, and the fans are there as a bonus – and they help out so much you wouldn’t realise it.
“Against Puskas, if we get a big crowd, I think we could really put them on their heels.”
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