When Jim Goodwin was unveiled as Aberdeen manager in February he said one of his first priorities was to reduce the average age of the Dons squad.
That led to a massive overhaul at Pittodrie with Goodwin starting this season with almost a completely different squad to the one he inherited from former boss Stephen Glass.
Michael Devlin and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas were released before the end of the 2021-22 campaign was over, while long-serving defender Andy Considine was allowed to depart Pittodrie after a breakdown in contract talks.
Former Aberdeen captain Scott Brown was allowed to leave in March to concentrate on his coaching career. He is now head coach of Fleetwood Town and signed defender Devlin in August.
Considine was not the only player in his thirties to leave the Dons with deputy goalkeeper Gary Woods, defender Declan Gallagher and midfielder Funso Ojo also moving on as well as 29-year-old Dylan McGeouch.
The Dons cashed in on their prized assets by selling right back Calvin Ramsay to Liverpool for a club record fee, while Lewis Ferguson moved to Italian side Bologna.
The money was used to create a younger Dons side with Goodwin making eight permanent signings and three players in on loan.
The result has been that the Dons have gone from having one of the oldest teams in the Scottish Premiership to the youngest starting XI.
The average age of the Dons team this season has been 25 years 357 days with leaders Celtic second (25y 361d).
Hibernian (26y 15d) and Ross County (26y 281d) are third and fourth respectively.
Rangers, who sit second in the Premiership and two points behind the Hoops, have the oldest starting XI so far this season at 28 years 177 days.
Aberdeen have the youngest average age starting XI this season Supplied by Opta Stats
Young guns playing a role
The Dons are also leading the way with minutes played by players aged 21 and under this season.
Of a possible 720 minutes from the eight league games this season, Vicente Besuijen has played 643 minutes.
Other youngsters to have been on the pitch this season include Leighton Clarkson (age 20), Shayden Morris (20), Jack Milne (19) and Ryan Duncan (18).
Aberdeen have the most minutes played by players aged 21 or under this season.Livingston are bottom of the league for minutes played by players aged 21 with only 105 minutes.
The Dons have also included 17-year-old Liam Harvey in a matchday squad in the Premiership earlier this season – against Celtic on the opening day of the campaign.
Dylan Lobban, who turned 17 in August, was an unused substitute in the 4-1 win against Kilmarnock on Saturday.
The Dons, meanwhile, have signed 18-year-old Aaron Reid from Breedon Highland League side Turriff United.
Reid,who was with the Dons youth academy from 2013 to 2019, has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season and will remain at Turriff until January.
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