Pittodrie boss Barry Robson has revealed he allows the club’s most experienced players to run the Aberdeen dressing room.
Those older campaigners are fully trusted by the Dons’ gaffer to “lead the way” and drive the standards within the squad.
Robson reckon the voice of experienced pros like captain Graeme Shinnie and Jonny Hayes needs to be heard within a squad consisting of so many young players.
Allowing that player autonomy within the dressing room is paying off as the Dons are on a red-hot seven-game winning streak.
The club’s longest winning run since 2015 has elevated Aberdeen up to third in the Premiership table.
A third placed finish is worth £3.5 million in SPFL prize payments, with fourth paying considerably less at £2.5m.
Finishing third could also bring a UEFA prize payment of £3.2m and group stage European action until mid-December.
Robson said: “I always say to the older ones in the group ‘you run the dressing room, that’s your dressing room’.
“If I need to come in at any time, then I will.
“You always need to have good, older professionals in the dressing room, especially when you have a lot of young players in there.
“They (older players) are the ones that lead the way and the standards.”
The importance of veteran Hayes
Robson recently secured the future of one of his more experienced players when Jonny Hayes signed a new contract.
Wing-back Hayes penned a new one-year deal tying him to the club until summer 2024.
The 35-year-old Republic of Ireland international is in his second spell at Pittodrie and has made 323 appearances, scoring 37 times.
Hayes won the League Cup with Aberdeen in 2014 before transferring to Celtic in summer 2017.
He won three Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups with the Hoops.
Hayes returned to Pittodrie in summer 2020.
The versatile winger/wing-back is the first player to commit to a new deal under Robson’s management at Pittodrie.
Robson was made interim manager following the dismissal of Jim Goodwin on January 28.
The Pittodrie board, on March 31, confirmed Robson would manage the Dons until at least the end of the season.
Robson insists it was a “no brainer” to offer a new contract to “leader” Hayes.
He said: “We are looking forward to Jonny continuing to be a big personality in the dressing room.
“You always need to have good professionals in your dressing room, leaders who are going to show the way.
“Jonny also still loves playing and wants to play.
“He is still capable of playing some of his best football and I think we have seen that.
“Jonny is a person who really loves the club.
“He wants to do well for the club and is an important player in the team at the moment – and hopefully next season.
“For me it was a no-brainer.”
‘We have some real leaders’
Whilst Robson lets the older players run the dressing room he also trusts them to lead on the pitch.
Aberdeen were without inspirational captain Graeme Shinnie for the recent clash with Rangers, but still triumphed 2-0.
Shinnie was serving the first of a four-match ban.
Aberdeen’s appeal on a red card shown to Shinnie at Ross County was rejected.
A further game was added to the initial three match ban for what the Scottish FA viewed as a ‘frivolous’ appeal.
The Reds’ then requested to have Shinnie’s four-game ban reviewed by a new panel, but that was dismissed by the SFA.
Shinnie will also miss the first three post-split Premiership games – Rangers (a), Hibs (h) and Hearts (a).
Despite the absence of skipper Shinnie, Dons boss Robson has no concerns about leadership in the upcoming three fixtures he will miss.
He said: “We have some real leaders on the football pitch.
“Players that want to win games.
“Players that want to perform for the club.”
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