Zander is the man to captain Aberdeen FC
Says former Aberdeen FC boss BILLY McNEILL
Published:
ZANDER Diamond was today backed to become the next Aberdeen FC captain.
Celtic legend Billy McNeill knows all about what it takes to be a successful skipper.
He led the Hoops to 23 trophies in more than 800 appearances, and was the first British captain to lift the European Cup.
The former Aberdeen FC manager, nicknamed ‘Cesar’ during his time at Celtic, reckons Diamond is the ideal replacement for Scott Severin who has joined Watford.
And McNeill, 69, who managed Mark McGhee at Parkhead, has tipped the new Aberdeen FC boss to bring success back to Pittodrie.
Q You managed Mark McGhee while he was at Celtic, did he show any signs he would move into management?
None at all, although since retiring from football he has carved out a good career as a manager.
He definitely has the ability to bring success to Aberdeen FC.
Mark played under me at Parkhead from 1987 to 1989 and he was a dream to work with.
He never moaned or complained if he was dropped or asked to play out of position. Mark just worked hard and retained his professionalism and focus.
He was a great player for me and I still have a lot of time for him, I have no doubt he can be a success at Aberdeen FC.
Mark can certainly revitalise them and have them pushing up near the top of the table.
Q McGhee lost out on the Celtic job to Tony Mowbray. Will that act as extra impetus to bring success to Pittodrie?
He would have been desperate to make Aberdeen FC a success regardless of that.
I always believed Mark was a strong contender for the Celtic position, so he will have been disappointed to have lost out.
He has a strong track record with more than 20 years as a manager, and that can only be of benefit to Aberdeen FC.
Obviously, it adds a little extra spice to the opening league game of the season when Aberdeen FC play Celtic at Pittodrie.
Being a former Aberdeen FC player at a time when the club was successful, there will be expectations on Mark to bring success.
But it will be the same with Tony Mowbray who will also be under pressure as there are so many expectations put on him.
The expectations from the supporters are severe, because they want Celtic to win the league.
But Mowbray, and McGhee, are the type of managers who will thrive on that pressure to bring success.
Expectation is necessary, and the game would be bland and unexciting if the fans were not excited about what will happen.
McGhee will come in with different ideas on how to handle the players.
Q You were an inspirational captain at Celtic. Aberdeen FC have lost their skipper in Scott Severin, who should replace him?
Zander Diamond would be a strong candidate because he is so confident and determined.
He has a fantastic appetite for the game and being captain is something that could help him, because Zander could thrive on the responsibility.
If he is skipper it will put him more in the spotlight and Zander can definitely go on to pick up senior caps for Scotland.
He has improved a lot over the last few seasons.
Zander had been very unfortunate in that just when he was really moving on with his game he picked up injuries.
His strength is that he is so determined you can never write him off or say that he will not be a success, and I reckon he will have a good career.
Q What are your opinions on the standard of play in the SPL?
The SPL is going through a time of transition as there have been a lot of managerial changes over the summer.
That will give new managers like Mark McGhee the impetus to show exactly what they can achieve.
Players also relish that because it offers the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and impress their new boss.
With different attitudes and personalities, it could be a fantastic season in the SPL, and it certainly needed a lift.
Last season there was not the same level of good performances that the fans want to see.
Q As captain of the Celtic, you led them to the European Cup in 1967. Can a Scottish team ever reach those heights again?
I doubt it and that European Cup win seems a long way off now.
The game has swung dramatically since then, and the English Premier League is now the wealthiest in the world.
They are snapping up all the best players and it is difficult to see Scottish teams ever matching that.
Scottish teams will be scratching about for money, whereas English sides can splash out huge sums on players.
Scotland has a situation where clubs have to watch every penny they are spending.
That has become even more acute with the loss of the television money from Setanta.
Let’s not forget as well, Scotland is only a nation of around five million people.
I’ll use YouTube to find new Aberdeen FC stars
WHO WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE TO BE NEW ABERDEEN FC CAPTAIN? EMAIL: ee.sport@ajl.co.uk
