Captain Joe Lewis is ready to fight to remain Aberdeen’s No.1 next season if a new keeper is signed in the summer.
The 34-year-old accepts boss Jim Goodwin could sign a keeper in a summer transfer window rebuild.
Goodwin has been linked with a move for Ipswich Town keeper Vaclav Hladky.
Lewis, contracted until summer 2024, admits he is aware of reports linking Goodwin to other keepers.
However he cannot affect incomings in the summer – he can only affect his own performances.
Lewis admits he suffered a slump in form earlier in the season.
After months of hard graft the Dons skipper is confident he has regained his top form.
He aims to prove that he deserves to be No. 1 in the remaining two games of the campaign and lay down a marker into the summer.
And then he is determined to start pre-season training with a bang.
He said: “The manager has had a good look at the whole squad now and had enough time to assess people.
“Now he’ll look to make his changes in the summer.
“It’s now down to me.
“I’ve got two games left to do as well as I can and build on what I’ve been building on personally.
“And to stake the best claim I can for the shirt next season.
“I’m obviously not happy with my performances earlier in the season.
“It hasn’t been good enough.
“I’ve worked hard to turn it around and I feel that I have now.
“I’ve only got two games left but I can only show my attitude and my professionalism that I’ve shown throughout his time here.
“I’ll be coming back in the summer with the bit between my teeth to go again.”
‘Back to the keeper I know I can be’
Ipswich Town keeper Hladky is on Goodwin’s radar as part of a summer rebuild.
Goodwin recently expressed his admiration for Czech Republic stopper Hladky, 31, who he managed at St Mirren until 2020.
Hladlky has another two years left on his Ipswich contract but it is understood the League One side are open to selling him in the summer.
Asked how he deals with reports linking keepers to Aberdeen, Lewis said: “I try to stay off social media.
“I think it can distract from your focus sometimes.
“I do hear about it though.
“I understand that there’s going to be players brought in.
“Everybody needs to be professional enough and grown-up enough to know that’s part of the game.
“I can control my performances in the next two games.
“I’ve been battling hard all season to try to turn my own form around.
“A lot of hard work has gone into that and I feel in a much better position now.
“Over these last six weeks I feel I’ve turned the corner again.
“I’m back to being the goalkeeper I know I can be.”
Lewis’ battle to rediscover top form
Lewis is set to be between the sticks for tonight’s Premiership clash against St Johnstone in Perth.
He was dropped in October following a drop in form with No.2 Gary Woods elevated to the starting line-up.
It was the first time Lewis had been on the bench since signing for the Dons in summer 2016.
Lewis missed just two games before being reinstated to the starting line-up.
Aberdeen boss Goodwin has praised Lewis for impressive performances in the previous two games.
He produced two superb blocks in the first-half in the 1-0 defeat of Dundee.
It was a win that all but killed off the relegation play-off danger.
The Dons stopper also made vital saves in the 1-1 draw at Hibs.
Lewis said: “I’m just concentrating on trying to work hard.
“There’s no one thing I can point to and say that’s turned my form around.
“It’s a long process.
“There’s a lot of things I’ve worked hard on and tried to implement in my game.”
‘There’s a bit of psychological work’
Lewis insists the battle to rediscover his form was a long process.
It was not just about training at Cormack Park.
He also had to work on the psychological aspect to get his confidence back.
He said: “It’s not a case of making one save and everything changes back to how it was.
“A lot of the time it’s a process you have to go through.
“I’ve worked hard on a few technical issues I needed to work on to allow myself to make some more saves.
“There’s a bit of psychological work to try to improve my confidence and mindset.
“There’s been a lot of work put in to get myself into the position I feel I’m in now.
“Which is a much better place.”
