New Aberdeen signing Stevie May has thanked Preston manager Alex Neil for enabling him to complete his dream move to the Dons.
The 24-year-old could make his debut for the Reds against Ross County in Dingwall this afternoon after moving to Pittodrie on a four-year deal on Thursday night.
May was on the brink of joining Derek McInnes’ side in June but when Preston manager Simon Grayson replaced David Moyes at Sunderland the deal was placed on hold.
The Scotland international looked set to remain at Deepdale for the season when Alex Neil was appointed as Grayson’s replacement.
May had netted 26 goals in 35 games as a teammate of Neil’s during a loan spell at Hamilton during the 2012-13 season with Neil installed as Accies player-manager during the course of the campaign.
But May, who missed the majority of last season due to a serious knee injury, made it clear to the Preston manager that his heart was set on linking up with his former St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes at Pittodrie – and thanked him for not standing in his way.
He said: “He told me it was for my best interests and it was something I wanted to happen.
“The first conversation I had with Alex Neil was telling him I wanted to go to Aberdeen.
“He didn’t know his squad well and who was available so he wanted a couple of weeks to get settled and look at everything.
“There were bids in when Alex Neil came to Preston and I don’t know what another manager would have done at that point.
“It was close to going through and if the old manager had stayed then it probably would have happened then.
“Obviously Alex Neil wanted to look at the squad first.
“We had discussions about how many games I needed because it had been a couple of years since I had played a good amount of football.
“In the end, he said letting me go was as much for me as for them.
“He couldn’t guarantee me the games that I need which is understandable.
“It is a credit to him that he allowed me to go when a lot of managers would have kept me there on the bench.
“It is good to finally get the move over the line.
“I wasn’t sure if it would happen at that point as it had been dead in the water.
“I didn’t know if Aberdeen were still able to do the deal but thankfully they were.”
May was often jeered by the Aberdeen supporters during his time at St Johnstone, although one of his most memorable moments for the Perth club came against the Dons.
The attacker scored twice as St Johnstone came from behind to win 2-1 in the 2014 Scottish Cup semi-final at Ibrox with the Saints going on to lift the trophy.
May said: “It wasn’t just the Aberdeen supporters, I think most fans didn’t like me for a number of reasons.
“My dad used to always say it was a good thing if the opposition fans are on your back.
“I remember when the Aberdeen supporters were singing about me at the League Cup semi-final at Tynecastle.
“That was a bad day. I was like a drowned rat and we were getting beat 3-0.
“It wasn’t so good but it made it even sweeter in the Scottish Cup, which was a good day for me, even though I’m sure the Aberdeen supporters wished it never happened.
“Now the shoe is on the other foot and I want it to be Aberdeen going into cup finals.
“The focus is playing football and Ross County this weekend.”
May will wear the number 83 shirt for the Dons – a nod to the club’s greatest ever moment when they defeated Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final in Gothenburg on May 11, 1983.
The Aberdeen forward said: “That was something the club put to me.
“I had no real significance with any number.
“If it is something that puts a smile on the face of the fans or it helps get an extra few shirts off the rails it is a good thing.
“It seems to have been taken quite well.
“I’m quite easy-going in that sense.
“When it got put to me it was an easy decision to go with it.”