Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has praised loan defender Alfie Dorrington for embracing his style of play.
Centre-back Dorrington joined from Premier League Tottenham Hotspur in January until the end of the season.
Dorrington is highly rated at Spurs, where he was part of the under-18 side who won the Premier League Cup in 2022/23.
In the following campaign the defender was a key player in Tottenham under-21s Premier League 2 title-winning side.
The 19-year-old made his first-team debut for Spurs when coming off the bench in a 5-0 Premier League win at Southampton in December 2024.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou sent the defender to Aberdeen to secure regular senior starts.
Dorrington penned a new contract tying him to Spurs until summer 2029 on the same day he went on loan to Aberdeen.
However, the teen initially struggled to get much game-time for the Dons, with only one start in his first six weeks in the Granite City.
Thelin assesses Dorrington loan spell
Due to the injury absence of centre-back Kristers Tobers, though, loanee Dorrington has started the last three games.
Dorrington also netted his first goal for the Reds in an emphatic 4-1 Premiership win against Motherwell at Pittodrie on Saturday.
Thelin said: “When new players arrive everybody wants it to happen quickly.
“However, it’s a new environment for Alfie and a new context. It’s also new team-mates and a different style of how we play and even how we train.
“He has adapted really well and taken on that responsibility.
“Alfie has adapted to the league and our style. He has been really good in the last games.”
Dorrington netted the leveller after Aberdeen had fallen behind to an early goal from Motherwell.
Further goals from Leighton Clarkson and a Kevin Nisbet double secured a win which confirmed the Dons will compete in the top six of the Premiership when the league splits in April.
Aberdeen have rediscovered form despite Thelin being hit by the recent injury absence of key players.
Defender Tobers, midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen and keeper Dimitar Mitov are all sidelined.
Nilsen looks set to face an extended period out with an eye injury.
Aberdeen respond to injury problems
Bulgarian international Mitov is also ruled out for a number of weeks after suffering a shoulder muscle injury on international duty.
Mitov faces a battle to be fit for the Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Hearts at Hampden on Saturday April 19.
Latvian international centre-back Tobers, meanwhile, is also out with a hamstring injury and has missed the last three games.
The Dons have also been hit with long-term injuries to midfielder Jamie McGrath, centre-back Gavin Molloy and winger Vicente Besuijen this tern.
Thelin reckons the level of performance against Motherwell despite the injury problems underlines the depth of the squad.
The Swede has reconstructed the squad across two transfer windows since arriving at Pittodrie as Dons boss last summer.
He said: “It was a good performance against Motherwell.
“The most important thing for me is the quality inside the squad is growing.
“We have a healthy competition inside the squad, despite having some players out because of injuries.
“There have been more injuries recently, but we can still perform well as a team.
“The squad has to be strong and I am seeing more and more players take responsibility for results.”
The impressive win against Motherwell was a marker of Aberdeen’s aspirations to finish third in the Premiership.
Retaining belief despite early setback
Aberdeen trail third-placed Hibs by one point with seven Premiership matches remaining.
They have still to face the Easter Road club in the post-split fixtures.
Thelin said: “We know the qualities of our players and how they can manage the games and keep the balance in the team.
“They also do a little bit extra with their qualities in the right moment of the game.
“Against Motherwell, we started really well, but then they scored.
“However, our reaction was very strong and we had no stress.
“We did the right things and kept that belief.
“I was really happy with how the players responded.”
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