Jimmy Thelin was delighted with the reaction that returning Duk got from the Red Army.
The striker came back into the Aberdeen squad for the first-time at Dundee and was given a rousing reception as he warmed up as an unused sub. It was the Cape Verde international’s first public outing since he went AWOL at the start of the season, as he tried to force a move, but has since publicly apologised for his actions. The Aberdeen boss said: “It is part of our club, how we look after each other and help each other. It makes us grow as a team and as people. It was nice.”
Duk’s return could also be timely for the Dons with fears top scorer Pape Habib Gueye could be out for several months. Aberdeen made it 12 wins at Dundee and will be looking to make it unlucky 13 for Hearts when they head to Pittodrie this weekend. Thelin brought captain Graeme Shinnie back in against Dundee and a real surge to their performance.
His manager admitted: “He was good. They were winning a lot of second balls so we changed the midfield. When he played as a No. 10 he also did really well. He has never-ending energy on the pitch, which is good.”
The win at Dundee wasn’t a classic. They were on the back foot for most of the second half but they ground it and showed great character. Thelin stated: “For me, you try to do everything in the defence, transition and attacking. Can we take that extra step consistently? The players have the mindset to do it.
“They are running 40 to 60 metres to help the defence and it is good to see that strength inside the team. How we defend inside and outside the box.
“How we win headers and how we help our goalkeepers with blocks and how we run back when we put the ball in behind our backline. We also stick together in the low block. That is football sometimes. You need to do something extra to get the three points.”