Jamie Langfield is one of football’s great survivors.
When you have suffered the fallout from a club going into administration at Dundee to a life threatening illness, fighting for your place in the starting 11 is a piece of cake.
But that is exactly the challenges life has thrown at the Aberdeen goalkeeper. He has faced them all and overcome them, which is why he will celebrate his decade of service for the Dons with a testimonial match against Brighton at Pittodrie on Sunday.
Seeing off the challenge of rivals for the goalkeeper jersey at Pittodrie has been a breeze in comparison to the far more pressing worries, both financial and health, he has faced and it is why, as he starts the new campaign in the position of third choice at Aberdeen, he does so with a renewed drive and determination to prove himself all over again.
The Dons goalkeeper said: “I regard myself as a fighter. I’m not glamorous or the big-name player in the team but every time I play I’m fighting to stay in the team.
“I give 100% for this club and always have whether it is in training or in games. Managers have seen that, too, in the way I’ve worked to get back in the team. I’ve been dropped but it’s how I react to those situations which matters.
“I’m sitting here just now and I can’t get on the bench but I’m not going to spit out the dummy with the manager. All I will do is continue to work hard and try to force my way back in. It was how I was brought up and it is probably why I’ve been here as long as I have. I’ll never give up.”
He has been linked with moves to both Dunfermline and St Mirren this summer but Langfield claims the links have no foundation and has reiterated his desire to stay at the club.
He said: “I’ve got another year here and I’m working as hard as I can. The manager has not said anything about wanting me to leave and I haven’t asked to leave.
“I’m concentrating on getting back in the team and I have to keep myself ready in case of an injury or suspension. I’ll keep on fighting until someone tells me otherwise.
“I’m a Paisley boy which is probably why I was linked to St Mirren, while I also played for Dunfermline before which is where that link came from, but I know nothing about any of this.
“All I’ve been focusing on is pre-season and trying to work my way into the squad.”
Langfield has endured a rollercoaster career at Pittodrie but he says the highs far outweigh the lows.
He played a key role in helping the Dons reach the group stages of the Europa League under Jimmy Calderwood and was in goal for the League Cup final victory against Caley Thistle in 2014.
But neither achievement ranks as his favourite with his recovery from an arteriovenous malformation – an abnormal connection between the veins and the arteries on the left side of his brain – providing the basis of his memorable comeback in 2011.
He said: “My best game for Aberdeen was against Dundee United’s under-20s at St Andrews for our under-20s. We won 5-0 and it was the most nerve-wracking I’ve been going into a game as it felt as if I had never played before.
“It sounds stupid picking that game but it was the one which convinced me I could return and play football again with Aberdeen.”