Graeme Shinnie’s desire to fight for Aberdeen is proof making him captain was the right call, insists interim boss Barry Robson.
And he insists midfielder Shinnie is the type of player he wants at Pittodrie.
Shinnie was secured on loan in January from Championship Wigan Athletic until the end of the season.
Despite his loan status, interim gaffer Robson installed the 31-year-old as club skipper following the sacking of Jim Goodwin.
Robson also sanctioned the loan move of former captain Anthony Stewart to MK Dons on transfer deadline day.
Graeme Shinnie ‘wants to fight and run for this club’
Scotland international Shinnie was previously an Aberdeen skipper before moving to Derby County in summer 2019.
Aberdonian Shinnie has been instrumental in the mini revival of his home city club, who have now secured back-to-back wins, following Saturday night’s victory at Dundee United.
The Reds have jumped up to fifth in the Premiership table and are in the hunt for European qualification.
Robson accepts the decision to make a loan player captain may have been questioned.
However, he reckons Shinnie has emphatically delivered the answer as to why he is wearing the skipper’s armband.
Robson said: “People say to me: ‘The boy is on loan, why did you make him captain?’
“Graeme wants to fight and run for this club.
“He wants to be at the club which speaks volumes for him and that is the type of player I want.
“That’s why I made him captain.
“You saw all of that against Dundee United. Graeme is also a good player.”
Shinnie’s future still up in the air
Shinnie is contracted to Wigan, second bottom of the Championship, until summer 2024.
The midfielder was sent on loan to Aberdeen by Kolo Toure, who has subsequently been sacked as manager at the DW Stadium club.
Aberdeen-raised former Celtic and Wigan attacker Shaun Maloney is now the Latics’ new manager.
Shinnie recently confirmed he has not thought about his future beyond the end of the season and has been focusing on trying to revive Aberdeen’s fortunes.
He led by example in the 3-1 defeat of Dundee United at Tannadice, with vital tackles and a driving performance from midfield.
Robson said: “Graeme wins challenges.
“The amount of times I have been to a match and seen a tackle flying in or someone sprints 40 or 50 yards back and get a cheer from the crowd.
“That’s what we want to see.”
Aberdeen ramp up hunt for new boss
Meanwhile, Aberdeen have ramped up their hunt for a new manager, having whittled the search down to a lengthy list of candidates.
The Reds were inundated with applications from across the UK and Europe for the managerial post.
There were also potential candidates who did not formally apply for the post who were on the Dons’ radar to replace Goodwin.
New chief executive Alan Burrows is now into his second week in the job at Pittodrie and is homing in on a new manager.
It is understood the Dons have started interviewing candidates, including former Sheffield United and Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder.
Wilder is understood to have met with Burrows in the Granite City to put forward his case for the Dons job.
Former Sheffield United boss Wilder led the Blades to two promotions in three years and up to the English Premier League.
But Wilder has been out of work since leaving Championship Middlesbrough in October.
The 55-year-old has been linked with a number of roles in recent months, including Championship clubs Huddersfield Town and Blackpool.
Robson on fans chanting his name
Interim boss Robson has led the Dons back into the Premiership top six with a return of three wins from five games in charge.
Robson guided Aberdeen to a first league away win since October at the weekend to strengthen his pitch for the permanent job.
Many supporters in the 3,000-strong travelling support at Tannadice chanted Robson’s name at full-time.
On the fans cheering for him, Robson joked: “That’s something new.
“I think I was the only player that used to get booed by my own fans and opposition fans.
“They need to cheer the players on the pitch as it is the team that are doing it, not me.
“There are guys in there who are really running and working and know what it means to play for Aberdeen.”
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