Derek McInnes believes Aberdeen’s persistence with trying to sign Max Lowe paid dividends with Derby County allowing the full-back to join the Dons on loan.
Lowe was a target McInnes had identified earlier in the window but his early impressions on new Derby manager Frank Lampard and assistant Jody Morris, who played under the Dons boss at St Johnstone and Bristol City, looked to have put an end to any deal.
But the Rams bringing in Scott Malone and already having Scotland cap Craig Forsyth on their books brought the possibility of Lowe joining back to the table, with the 21-year-old signing until January yesterday with the possibility of it being extended until the end of the campaign.
McInnes said: “He’s one that we’d identified throughout the close season. The new manager at Derby wanted to assess the squad and he’d made a big impression on Frank (Lampard) and Jody (Morris). We thought that impression to bring him in had closed. But it’s a position we’ve been looking to fill, an attacking wing-back role. It allows Graeme Shinnie to stay in the middle of the park, where he and I think he’s more effective.
“Derby have got (Scott) Malone and (Craig) Forsyth and although he’s made a big impression, the benefit of Max getting regular football was important. When we got a call last week to revisit that opportunity we were delighted, as he’s one we were keen to work with.
“I don’t think the friendship with Jody has done any harm. I speak to him often enough and I speak to Frank often enough about Max. We always felt we had a chance if they decided to put him out on loan.
“He’s played a few games already this season and had a very successful loan spell at Shrewsbury last season. Once their window closes and you look at the squad they have, they’ve made an assessment that it’ll be beneficial for him to go out. The fact we knew a lot about Max and had a specific role for him to play, helped more than any friendship. But the friendship won’t have done any harm.”
Lowe goes straight into the squad for tomorrow’s game against Kilmarnock, although winger Scott Wright will be out for at least six weeks after sustaining ankle ligament damage in training last week.
McInnes added: “He took a kick in training and we thought it would settle down but on Friday he was still in pain. We had it rescanned on Monday and it looks as if it’s ligament damage, which will keep him out to the next international break in October. He was flying against St Mirren and we were keen to get him in against Hibernian. It shows the highs and lows of football – from a man of the match performance to getting injured.”
McInnes also brushed off any suggestion of any interest in former Dundee United midfielder Ryan Gauld, after the Dons were linked with a loan move for the Sporting man.
Young defender Sam Roscoe has joined Alloa Athletic on loan for the rest of the season.