Former Aberdeen favourite Robbie Winters has backed his former team-mate Stevie May to come good at Pittodrie.
Winters played alongside May at Alloa Athletic and while the latter has struggled for goals since moving to the Dons 18 months ago, his partnership with Sam Cosgrove has started to bear fruit.
A £400,000 signing from Preston North End in the summer of 2017, May has managed eight goals in 61 games, with only three so far this season.
However, his return to the side up front with Cosgrove coincided with the Englishman’s goal glut of nine goals in eight games.
During his time at Deepdale, May suffered a horrendous knee injury, which ruled him out for 14 months and threatened to end his career.
He returned to action in February 2017 before sealing a move to the Granite City four months later.
May netted 19 in 22 games on loan at Alloa in the 2011-12 campaign where Winters, a 2000 Scottish Cup finalist with Aberdeen, saw exactly what he could deliver.
He said: “He loves football. He always wants to play and score goals and he did that for Alloa. I’m sure if he gets a sniff – if Sam Cosgrove crosses one in for him then he’ll tuck it away. He’s got a good partnership just now with great delivery from the wings.
“He’s quick, strong and a menace to defend against. I see a wee bit of myself in him. I didn’t score as many goals as I should have at Aberdeen, but I created goals as well as scored them.
“Derek McInnes will know that if Stevie’s playing, he’s going to be working hard for the team and setting up chances.
“With the injury, it’s about the individual and whether he’s fully recovered from it mentally. Everyone is different but at Aberdeen you get well looked after to get back to full fitness. You get the best equipment and treatment.”
Winters, who scored 45 goals in four seasons for Aberdeen, reckons his former club ought to up their challenging for honours at the end of the season and hopes a Premiership title race materialises.
He added: “The last few seasons they have been there or thereabouts and I don’t see why they shouldn’t be again.
“Celtic are up there to be shot at. It’s going to come down to teams putting six or seven wins together and getting confidence going.”