Aberdeen loan signing Josh Parker is confident he can handle anything Scottish football throws at him after enduring the wrath of 40,000 furious Red Star Belgrade supporters.
The English attacker came off the bench to make his debut in Aberdeen’s 2-0 win against Dundee at Pittodrie on Saturday, secured by two goals from Adam Rooney.
While he is all aware of the high expectations this season, Parker believes the pressure will not come close to playing for Belgrade.
He said: “I feel I have a new lease of life because I’m playing with freedom. I know the supporters will say I’ve played badly if I do, but they are not going to be booing me and saying I should leave the country. That’s how extreme it is.
“You will never know a harsh crowd until you go to Belgrade. We played Kairat Almaty in the first game of the season in the Europa League. In most of the reports, I was one of the best players. But in one of the biggest newspapers, the reporter didn’t like me.
“He said: ‘I don’t like Parker. Parker shouldn’t play for Red Star.’ In the next game I played, the whole stadium was whistling me – 40,000 people.
“I asked what it was all about and people told me. I never witnessed that in English football, that’s for sure.
“Once you have been through that kind of thing you feel you can handle anything.”
Parker, who is on loan at Pittodrie until January, is already settled at the Dons and is eager to repay manager Derek McInnes’ faith in him by helping his new club have a successful season.
He said: “I wouldn’t say I have something to prove to Red Star. That would look as if I have come here to get myself back there.
“I came here because the manager showed faith in me and thought I could bring something to this team. I went to Red Star having already proven myself so I don’t feel I need to prove anything to them.
“I haven’t thought about what happens after the loan because I’m only just here. I’ve only been here three days but I feel like I’ve been here for three years, because of the welcome from the manager and the players.”
Parker believes he has joined a club on the verge of something special following the universal acclaim for the manager and players from the members of the public he has encountered in his first few days in the city.
He said: “I’ve never seen a city talk about a team and manager in such good spirits as they do here.
“Even if I’m in a taxi, the driver will tell me the manager is amazing and the players are all behind him.
“For me, that’s abnormal, which proves it’s something special. For people to tell me without me asking shows they are seeing a difference in the team.
“They tell me it’s a team that’s still progressing, but the manager is trying to keep the squad together because he knows what they are capable of. He has brought me in to try and add to it.”