Aberdeen loan star Mattie Pollock is a “warrior defender” and leader who can make a major impact at Pittodrie, says his former coach.
Watford defender Pollock, 21, has joined on loan from the English Championship club until the end of the season.
Grimsby Town professional development phase coach Callum Lester worked closely with Pollock before he secured a £250,000 transfer from the Mariners to Watford.
He revealed the defender was so desperate to succeed he regularly met Lester for early morning training sessions hours before his team-mates arrived.
And it took just minutes into his Grimsby debut to realise Pollock not only had the talent, but also the temperament to be a top defender.
Despite suffering a broken nose on his debut, Pollock played through the pain barrier – and helped secure a shock win against a title contender.
Lester said: “Mattie is an old-school warrior type of defender who will be really good asset for Aberdeen.
“He is a great leader both on the pitch and in the changing room.
“For someone of such a young age, Mattie is very vocal and has a great winning mentality.
“He also has a real passion for defending and securing clean sheets.
“Mattie is an all-out defender who will put his body on the line.
“When the chips are down he won’t go missing, he will front it up.
“Mattie will want to be a catalyst for Aberdeen getting back to winning ways regularly.”
‘A great first touch and really confident with the ball’
Pollock featured as a substitute for Watford in a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough just days before joining Aberdeen.
After playing in that game, he received news Jim Goodwin, the manager who moved to sign him, had been sacked by the Dons.
Lester said: “Mattie competes really well aerially and doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves for the quality with his feet.
“He is technically a really good player with a great range of passing.
“Mattie has a great first touch and he is really confident with the ball.
“But, because of his qualities defensively, those other qualities are maybe overshadowed.”
Broken nose on debut… and smiling
Pollock made a starting Aberdeen debut in the 3-1 loss to St Mirren when the Reds were down to 10 men early on following Ross McCrorie’s dismissal.
He again started in the 3-1 defeat of Motherwell as the Dons ended a five-game losing streak.
Lester said: “Mattie made his first team debut for Grimsby not long after he turned 17.
“He came on against Exeter City away, who were high flying in the league and one of the favourites to go up.
“He came on as a sub in a bit of a depleted squad and we won 2-1.
“After 10 minutes, he broke his nose and there was blood running down his face, but he was smiling.
“That really epitomises Mattie.
“In that game, he also cleared one off the line in the last minute.
“We won a match where everyone thought we had no chance as it was kids on the bench.
“From then on he was in the first team.”
‘Early morning training sessions’
Lester works with players between 16 to 21 years old in his Grimsby role.
He revealed Pollock is equally adept at playing right or left-sided centre-back – but that versatility came through countless early morning sessions with Lester long before the other players reported for training.
He said: “Mattie is right sided and right footed.
“However, Mattie came up to me one day and said he thought he might have a chance of getting into the first team.
“But he said all the centre-backs are right footed so they will play him on the left in a back four, so Mattie asked if we could do some work on his left foot.
“He would regularly train with me for an hour at the training ground before training started to improve on various aspects like his left foot.
“If the players were in at 9am, Mattie would be in at 7.30am with a bag of balls waiting for me to get in and start working.
“He is a player that will be flat out and give it everything he can.
“That is one of his biggest qualities and why he did so well.
“Mattie doesn’t shy away from work and will roll his sleeves up.”
Leadership qualities as a teenager
Pollock would go on to make 58 appearances for Grimsby (46 starts) before sealing a transfer to then Premier League Watford.
He signed a five-year contract with Watford in May 2021.
Lester said: “When he was at Grimsby in the season they were relegated, he was playing every week at 18.
“He would be the one geeing up the lads and taking responsibility on his shoulders.
“That season he was their top scorer at centre-back.
“He is a real threat at set-pieces as he wants to attack the ball.”
Pollock had a goal against Motherwell harshly ruled out for a foul in the build up.
Pollock spent last season on loan at League One Cheltenham Town.
He scored three goals in 39 games in all competitions and won the club’s Young Player of the Season award.
Lester said: “Mattie deserves success for all the hard work and dedication he put in over the years.
“He will hit the ground running at Aberdeen and I imagine the supporters will soon be singing his name.”
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