On-loan defender Mattie Pollock is determined to prove a point to parent club Watford by helping Aberdeen push for European qualification.
Centre-back Pollock was secured on loan from the English Championship outfit late in the January transfer window.
He arrived amidst a Pittodrie crisis with Jim Goodwin, the manager who moved to secure him, recently sacked.
Pollock revealed a phone call from interim Dons boss Barry Robson just hours after Goodwin was axed reinforced his desire to move to Pittodrie.
Pollock played a key role in the 3-1 defeat of Motherwell, with interim boss Barry Robson in the dugout, as the Reds ended a five game losing streak.
Aberdeen remain in the Premiership’s bottom six but are just three points behind fourth placed Livingston, who have a game in hand.
The 21-year-old believes the Dons must target the third and fourth spots which bring European qualification.
Pollock said: “I have loved my time here even though I am just in the door.
“There’s a few years on my Watford contract and if I’m brutally honest I want to prove a point to Watford.
“I want to go back and show the fans the real me because I don’t think they have seen that in the games I have played.
“Also I want to prove to Watford that I am worthwhile and show them what I can really do.
“We had to bounce back from Wednesday (3-1 loss to St Mirren).
“We are a massive club and have to be pushing for fourth and third.
“These are the games you have to win just because we are at Aberdeen.
“It doesn’t matter how we win. The game wasn’t pretty but we got the job done.”
Competition to sign Pollock on loan
Aberdeen beat off competition from Hibs and Sheffield Wednesday to push through a loan deal for Pollock.
Pollock is contracted to Watford until summer 2026 having signed from Grimsby Town in 2021 for £250,000.
He has featured five times for Watford this season.
Pollock last featured for Watford when introduced as a substitute in a 2-0 loss at Middlesbrough on January 28.
That was the day Jim Goodwin was sacked by the Aberdeen board following a 6-0 loss at Easter Road.
Call from Barry Robson hours after Jim Goodwin was sacked
Pollock revealed a phone call from interim boss Barry Robson later that night convinced him not to do a U-turn on the Dons loan deal.
He said: “I spoke to Jim Goodwin prior to coming here.
“The club itself is a massive attraction.
“I had other offers in Scotland but once I spoke to Aberdeen and got the feel for the place it made up my mind.
“Unfortunately Jim left and that night after I played for Watford I received a call from Barry Robson.
“He said he wanted hard work and he told me everything I needed to hear.
“I wanted to come work with him.
“At my age you don’t get to play for a big club like this as easy as I got the chance to come here.
“When Jim left I did wonder what was going to happen.
“You have to back yourself but I want to play games as it hasn’t worked out for me at Watford this season.”
‘It was a perfectly good goal’
Pollock thought he had scored his first goal for the Dons when he netted in the 81st minute.
However the goal was disallowed for a foul when wining the initial header, which was saved, before bundling a shot over the line.
After celebrating in front of three stands the defender joked that he looked “a bit daft” when it was chalked off.
Pollock said: “The referee (Kevin Clancy) said I fouled the boy.
“I think the linesman gave the decision because he can see me holding the boy, but he had my shirt as well.
“We were leaning over one another so it is one of them.
“I was saying to the boys in the dressing room I celebrated in front of three stands so I looked a bit daft for the last ten minutes.
“I thought it was a perfectly good goal but that’s football and hopefully I can score again.”
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