Aberdeen midfielder Ross McCrorie revealed he is doing extra work during training in a bid to hit the goal trail this season.
The 24-year-old is determined to become a potent goal threat in boss Jim Goodwin’s rebuilt Dons’ team.
Goodwin has pushed vice-captain McCrorie up into a midfield role and asked for goals. McCrorie aims to deliver and has been working overtime with the Dons boss at Cormack Park to bring that cutting edge.
Aberdeen lost Lewis Ferguson’s goals from midfield when the Scotland international transferred to Italian Serie A club Bologna this summer.
Ferguson, who moved for £3 million, was Aberdeen’s top scorer last season on 16 goals.
McCrorie is determined to fill that midfield scoring void left by Ferguson’s exit.
This season McCrorie has already netted four times in 11 games. That is double his two-goal tally from 39 appearances last season.
McCrorie said: “I absolutely want to score more goals..
“In my first season (at Aberdeen) I was playing centre-midfield, but I was the deeper one.
“Then last season I was playing centre-back.
“The gaffer (Goodwin) came in and pushed me into midfield.
“He has asked for me to get more goals.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence I’ve scored because in training I have been working hard on that.”
Sensational goals from McCrorie
McCrorie has already netted two superb goals this season, against Raith Rovers and Ross County.
In the 3-0 Premier Sports Cup group defeat of Raith Rovers, the midfielder picked up possession near the halfway line.
He then drove at goal before unleashing a sensational 30-yard right-footed drive that rattled off the underside of the bar and into the goal.
An absolute WONDER goal from Ross McCrorie! 😱
A great strike from distance gives him his third Premier Sports Cup goal of the campaign, and doubles @AberdeenFC's lead 🔴 pic.twitter.com/ryZl16mINt
— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) July 24, 2022
In the 5-0 defeat of Livingston, McCrorie unleashed a vicious drive from the edge of the box to put the Dons two up.
Again, it cracked off the underside of the crossbar.
Extra training on scoring techniques
McCrorie insists he has been working on sharpening up his goalscoring instincts with boss Goodwin at Cormack Park. That extra graft is paying off.
He said: “I have been doing extra bits in training.
“Myself and the gaffer have been working on timing my runs into the box.
“I think it’s paying dividends now.
“You can see it in my game that I am starting to add goals.
“Hopefully I can keep it up.
“It is no coincidence with the hard work I am putting in.”
Individual targets kept to himself
Within weeks of Goodwin being appointed manager in February, midfielder McCrorie committed his long-term future to the Dons.
McCrorie penned a two-year contract extension tying him to the club until 2026.
He admits to setting individual targets for this season, but is keeping those to himself.
For McCrorie, the main priority is ensuring the Aberdeen squad, which was comprehensively rebuilt in the summer, secure success.
Aberdeen, who travel to Hibs on Saturday, are currently third in the Premiership table.
The Reds have also reached the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.
McCrorie said: “I set individual targets, but that’s the kind of thing I li/e to keep to myself.
“I think any player has individual targets and stuff you need to work towards.
“It is motivation and I have my own targets, but I keep them in-house.
“The main thing is that we keep winning and the team keeps playing well.
“I’m a team player.”
Goal celebrations show squad unity
McCrorie’s commitment to a long-term contract in February was essentially step one in Goodwin’s squad reconstruction.
The Dons boss subsequently signed 11 players during a busy summer transfer window.
That overhaul cost the club in excess of £1.5 million in transfer fees.
Since Goodwin’s appointment as manager in February, 15 players have also exited Pittodrie.
McCrorie insists the new-look squad gelled quickly, partly helped by a week-long pre-season training camp in Spain.
He reckons proof of the unity of the rebuilt squad is shown in the way they celebrate scoring goals together.
McCrorie said: “All the new signings have integrated really well.
“I think Spain helped as it got all the new boys in amongst us and we got to know them better.
“A few boys didn’t arrive until later on in the window, but – even then – they settled in quickly.
“You can see when we are celebrating that we are celebrating as a team and there is a real togetherness about us.”
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