It looks as if Aberdeen have found their much-needed replacement for Ylber Ramadani in Sivert Heltne Nilsen.
The 32-year-old midfielder is the latest arrival at Pittodrie and looks set to make his debut for the Dons in tomorrow’s Premier Sports Cup match at Queen of the South.
A quick look at his statistics tells me all I need to know.
He is an aggressive, hard-working player who is adept at breaking up play and leads the Norwegian league in forward passes.
He starts every game and was captain of Brann, so clearly there are leadership qualities there too.
Add in his experience and it all adds up to a key addition to the team by manager Jimmy Thelin.
Thelin knows Nilsen well
The Dons boss is clearly a big fan of Nilsen and knows exactly what he is going to get from his new recruit.
Thelin signed Nilsen at Elfsborg in 2019 and tried to bring the tough-tackling midfielder back to the club last summer.
The fact he has gone back in to bring the player to Pittodrie also speaks volumes of how highly the Aberdeen manager rates the player.
Some Dons fans may be a little concerned about the club shelling out for a player who turns 33 in October, but his track record shows him to be fit and playing regularly.
It is quite common to see guys playing on to 36 or 37 at the top level quite comfortably these days, so I have no concerns at all on that front.
The fact his former club have played 22 games this season, too, means he’ll be fit and raring to go as he embarks on his new challenge in Scotland.
Shinnie will be thrilled to have help in the engine room
I am sure the player most pleased to see a player like Nilsen coming into the Dons engine room is skipper Graeme Shinnie.
Shinnie and Ramadani formed a formidable partnership in the second half of the 2022-23 season, and were a big reason for the club’s strong finish to the season which led to the Dons securing a European place.
The loss of Ramadani, who moved to Serie A last summer, left a huge hole in the Aberdeen midfield, which, in hindsight, was never filled properly.
Leighton Clarkson, Connor Barron and Dante Polvara were all tried in the deeper role in front of the defence, but with Barron gone and Polvara and Clarkson’s strengths more geared towards attacking, we’ve needed a Ramadani-type figure.
Nilsen, on paper, looks to be that man and I’m excited to see what he is going to bring to the team.
I know Nilsen was sent-off in his last game for Brann at the weekend, but it was only the fourth red card of a career which spans 428 games and counting.
That’s a pretty decent record for a player who is expected to make challenges and break up the opposition play every week.
With Shinnie having a new partner in the same mould as him to do that job, it all points to the fast tempo, high-pressing approach we are expecting of Thelin’s Dons.
I was already looking forward to the new season and seeing another new face come in has only added to the excitement.
Cup campaign can get season off to a strong start
The wait is almost over to see Jimmy Thelin’s new-look Dons side in action.
The postponement of the friendly at Peterhead on Wednesday has only added to the intrigue among Dons fans after their first chance to see their side in action under the new manager was scuppered by the rain.
It meant a hastily rescheduled closed-door bounce game at Cormack Park was played instead, with the conditions in the Blue Toon so bad the Dons had to lend their opponents an away kit to use as the kit van could not get to the game.
In the end, the Dons ran out 4-0 winners with Ester Sokler scoring twice, while Graeme Shinnie and young Alfie Bavidge were also on the scoresheet.
Without seeing the game, we don’t know about the performance, but I would expect Thelin will be thrilled at seeing his side score four goals and keep a clean sheet.
But the real action gets under way at Palmerston Park on Saturday against Queen of the South.
The Dons face Queens, East Kilbride, Airdrie and Dumbarton in the Premier Sports Cup group – and Aberdeen supporters will be expecting their side to take maximum points.
It’s early days in the build-up to the new season, so we don’t know how well prepared Aberdeen are.
But the next two weeks are a chance to really build some momentum ahead of the league opener at St Johnstone in August.
Spain will have too much for England in Euro 2024 final
England produced their best display of the tournament to beat the Netherlands and reach the final of Euro 2024 – but I still fancy Spain to come out on top in the final.
Gareth Southgate’s side haven’t played sparkling football in the tournament, while the young Spaniards have been excellent against much tougher opposition.
It all depends on how Spain handle the final – if the youngsters don’t freeze on the big stage, it’s hard to see how England will withstand the pressure they will bring.
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