Aberdeen manager Neil Warnock believes Junior Hoilett is ready to make an immediate impact with the Dons.
The 33-year-old has not played a competitive match since featuring as a substitute for Canada in a 3-2 defeat against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals on November 22 last year.
The former Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers winger has been without a club since leaving Vancouver Whitecaps at the end of the MLS season in November.
But the 62-times capped Canada international has been training with Reading and Warnock believes Hoilett will be ready if called upon to feature against Hibernian this afternoon.
The Dons boss said: “He looks good to me and as good as I have ever seen him.
“He is determined and has been training with Reading for the last six weeks.
“He knows he needs to get fit enough to get in the Canada squad.
“He has played different places with them. He has played left and in the 10 role. He gives us another couple of options which we probably don’t have.
“In our situation if you can get a good player in then it helps the squad.
“We are a bit thin on the ground.
“We don’t have that many options and there are not that many free transfer players who are worth bringing in.
“We will have to go with what we have really.
“I know he wants to get in the Canada squad for the coming games.
“I told him he would enjoy himself up here and he said he would go anywhere with me because we have always had good times. He works hard and is my type.”
Warnock has managed Hoilett at QPR and Cardiff City and believes bringing a known quantity to Pittodrie makes him more confident that Hoilett can be a success north of the border.
He said: “I signed him at QPR and Cardiff and we also had him in (training) at Huddersfield.
“He and Sol Bamba were my first signings (at Cardiff).
“I said, ‘Do you know where I am?’ He said yes and I asked if he wanted to come and he said ‘I’ll go anywhere with you gaffer’.
“I told him I am only here until the end of the season but I think you can do a good job.
“He said he had been doing well training-wise and he got on the first flight.
“I know what I am getting, I am not gambling.
“The other night, I gambled on a couple of players and it didn’t come off.
“At least I know what I am getting but he is not a world beater, make no mistake about that.
“He is a good pro and will be good in the dressing room.”
More free agents to come?
Warnock has not ruled out the possibility of adding more free agents if he believes they will enhance the Aberdeen squad.
He said: “We are looking but it is pointless bringing in players who are no better than what you have.
“I am not one for looking at videos, I need to see them face-to-face or somebody to see them.
“We are getting recommendations from everywhere and I don’t think you can go off (something) like that.”
Another old acquaintance
Warnock will be reunited with another familiar face when he locks horns with Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery this afternoon.
The Dons boss was Montgomery’s manager at Sheffield United for seven years, handing him his debut for the Blades when he was only 17.
Warnock has been impressed with the way Montgomery has adapted to management, particularly his successful spell in charge of Central Coast Mariners who he guided to the A-League Championship in 2023.
Warnock said: “I spoke to him last night. We had a good chat.
“I have a lot of time for him and he is a genuinely nice guy. He did ever so well in Australia.
“I told him to get over here and when he got the Hibs job I congratulated him and told him it was a good club.
“We will be battling, he will try to get one over on me and I will be trying to get one over on him.
“I knew there was interest from Hibs and I told him I would come up for a game. They got to the (League Cup) semi-final and I said I would come to the final if they got there but Aberdeen did them.
“He has always been thoughtful about the game. He always looked at his game and where he could improve.
“He took that out to Australia with him. Central Coast Mariners were never the favourites and were always near the bottom of the pile, so to do what he did just shows what you can do with a good group of players.”
Support for Morris
Warnock, meanwhile, was disappointed with the abuse Dons winger Shayden Morris received on social media following Wednesday’s 3-3 draw against Motherwell.
Morris and Dante Polvara were substituted after only 30 minutes with the Dons trailing 3-0 after a disastrous start.
Warnock said: “It is out of order but it is the modern society. If you have a bad game you are likely to get abused.
“I felt sorry for Dante because he didn’t put a foot wrong but I had to change it quickly before we lost a fourth.
“I apologised to him when he went off.
“Shayden, in a way, contributed to every goal. I had to relieve him to stop anymore.
“That is how the fans are just now, if it isn’t a player it will be me or a member of staff.
“There always has to be a scapegoat. It is society really. I spoke to him on Friday with one or two others.”
‘When the gaffer calls you can’t say no’: Junior Hoilett jumped at the chance to make Aberdeen move
