Only one of Jimmy Thelin’s eight Aberdeen signings has been Scottish – but the Swedish boss insists his Dons will always have a strong home core
Thelin, who brought in Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet on loan from Millwall, is scouring the domestic talent pool while also looking to keep the pathway to the first team clear for the cream of the Cormack Park academy. The Aberdeen boss said: “It’s really important to have a Scottish identity and we are working really hard with the recruitment team to do that.
“We are looking at players we want to sign because, as a Scottish team, it is good to have a core of Scottish players. That’s what we want but still we have to look at a mix because of the players that are available right now. We have special skills that we need to bring in and it’s down to what we can get. They have to be available to come to Aberdeen and be at the right price.
“But we do have a clear objective of the Aberdeen DNA and nothing has changed as far as that’s concerned. You have to respect the culture and the demands of the league you play in.”
The Swede admits that rearing their own stars is vital to Aberdeen and the club’s future. He added: “The best thing we can do is to have players in the house where those youngsters can progress to the top team. That’s what we are aiming for in the long run.
“But in the short-term we have to do the right things now. I have only been here a few months and it takes time. It’s not a quick fix and you can’t build a squad with just one person.”
Latvia skipper Kristers Tobers and on-loan Dane Jesse Okkels are Thelin’s latest signings. That has taken the Dons’ foreign legion to 14 different nationalities and Thelin, who sold Okkels to Utrecht for £3million when he was Elfsborg boss, added: “The game is more global than it has been in the past.
“It’s an open market and I’m not saying that we didn’t look at any Scottish players. Maybe we did and we didn’t get them for whatever reason but the club has a clear identity of what it wants to be.”
Thelin hopes the new recruits can help Aberdeen get back to winning ways. They are 10 without a victory and Thelin knows the visit of Hearts today is massive.
He said: “This is a big fixture for the fans and it certainly was the last time we played. It was quite intense on the pitch and off the pitch – it was a good atmosphere.
“You feel like this is a really competitive game and it’s certainly an important one for us and them. We are going to give everything to make sure that we are the ones who get the win.”