Attacker Ryan Hedges did not push for a summer move away from Aberdeen when English clubs tried to sign him, confirmed boss Stephen Glass.
Nor did the 26-year-old kick up a fuss when approaches for him were rejected.
The Dons rejected a bid of under £500,000 from Blackburn Rovers in the final week of the summer transfer window.
Blackburn were the third English Championship club to attempt to sign the Welsh international during the summer.
However, Glass revealed wanted man Hedges did not try to exit Pittodrie amid interest from England.
Hedges’ Pittodrie contract runs out at the end of the season and he will be free to speak to any interested clubs when the winter window opens on January 1.
But Glass believes the attacker is happy at Pittodrie and has not given up hope of him signing a new deal – although he admits the call is down to Hedges.
He said: “I think Ryan loves it here, that’s important.
“He’s not in here banging the door saying: ‘why are you not letting me go, teams are looking at me’.
“Players know when teams are after them these days.
“We all know that. But his mind is great and he’s ready to perform.
“His professionalism has been fantastic.
“As it has been with other people in the same situation as well.”
‘If something comes and it blows this club out the water, then it does’
Hedges’ importance is clear and Aberdeen have tabled a new contract offer that would make the 26-year-old one of the highest earning players at Pittodrie.
Glass accepts with his Aberdeen contract now in the final year, the decision on his future is down to Hedges.
He reckons staying at Pittodrie in the Scottish top flight offers more benefits than joining a mid-table English second tier side.
Glass is confident extending his time at Pittodrie remains an attractive proposition for the attacker.
Unless a huge bid and club come in to blow everything ‘out of the water’.
He said: “I think Ryan is the type of player who knows performances will get him a better future here or a better future elsewhere, it’s up to him.
‘When you get to that stage of a contract, the decision becomes his.
“We want to make it as positive an environment as we can so that he wants to be here.
‘At the minute, he’s showing he wants to be here and that’s all we care about.
“If something comes and it blows this club out the water, then it does.
“But when things are middle of the road and you’re going mid-table down the road to a league that isn’t the Premier League, how attractive does that become?
“Are we not more attractive than that if we are at the top end of the table and doing what we should be doing?
“That’s our aim. That whole situation will take care of itself.”
Aberdeen will not be bullied in market
Glass insists rejecting approaches for Hedges in the window underlines his value to the club and also sent out a clear message that the Dons will not be steam-rollered by English clubs for their top talents.
Glass said: “It shows two things. It shows the value we place on him in the group and that we won’t be bullied as a club.”
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Having missed the last six games with a hamstring injury, Hedges is set to return to action for Sunday’s Premiership clash at St Mirren.
Aberdeen have failed to win a game since Hedges suffered the injury in the 2-1 League Cup loss at Raith Rovers last month.
In the games Hedges has started since the beginning of the 2020-21 season, Aberdeen have won more than half, with a win ratio of 58%.
That drops to 27% in the games Hedges has missed, primarily due to injury, having been ruled out for three months last season with a pectoral injury that required surgery.
Aberdeen also rejected a bid of under £2m for midfielder Lewis Ferguson from Premier League Watford in May.
Ferguson, who has since gone on to become capped by Scotland, subsequently slapped in a transfer request following the rejection of Watford’s advances.
Hedges has been working on his rehabilitation from injury and will return at St Mirren.
Glass recently confirmed the attacker was keeping his ‘options open’.
‘Ryan knows that we want him to be here’
He has not discussed Hedges’ contract with him recently because he insists the Welsh cap knows exactly how much Aberdeen want him to sign a new Dons deal.
Glass said: “I’ve not spoke to him about it again.
“For me, honestly, there is no need at the moment.
“Ryan knows that we want him to be here.
“We are trying to create an environment that makes players want to stay here.”