Paul Hartley aims to use his 17 years experience as a professional footballer by delving into the world of coaching and management.
Officially announcing his decision, yesterday, to discontinue his link with Aberdeen and seek coaching qualifications, the midfielder hopes to bring his expertise to a new generation of player as he took a swipe at the poor attitude displayed by some youngsters in the game who are more interested in money than hard work.
“There are a lot of things that have changed in Scottish football,” he insisted, “as the Old Firm have a lot more money than anyone else.
“The discipline of the young players has changed and you have to make sure that comes back, especially at a club like Aberdeen.
“It has always been based on good young players coming through, but if you don’t have the right attitude or application then you won’t succeed in football.
“Hopefully I have shown the ones at Pittodrie good standards and good professionalism, but only time will tell.
“There are one or two young players that we hope will make the grade at Aberdeen, but that’s down to them.
“You can give them all the coaching in the world but if they don’t have the right attitude then they won’t make it.
“I think over the last few years, at every club, money has changed things as young players get it far too easy now. They feel that the money comes first instead of playing football and they have to get the balance right.”
Having sat on the sidelines for much of the season because of a cruciate injury, Hartley felt it unfair on the club to try and keep going for the remaining year of his contract which, after talks, was cancelled.
“There’s a bit of relief and a bit of sadness,” he said, “but ultimately I think it’s the right decision as it has been playing on my mind for the last few months.”
The former Scotland player will be with the Aberdeen squad today for their final game of the season, against Hibs at Easter Road.
Meanwhile, Colin Calderwood, the Hibernian manager admits he’ll miss Derek Riordan’s moaning as he dropped the biggest hint that the striker will quit Hibs this summer.
Although further talks are planned with the out of contract 28-year-old in the coming days, Calderwood appears resigned to Riordan moving on to pastures news after admitting he’s comfortable chairman Rod Petrie has done all he can to keep the Scotland cap.
Riordan, who has notched 102 goals in two spells at the club, will get the chance to bid farewell to the supporters when the curtain comes down on the campaign after this afternoon’s match.
Calderwood said: “I don’t think it will be his last game forever, but we also have to be realistic about the possibility that he might not be here next season.
“I think at some point he will be a Hibs player again, but that’s something in the future. We would like to keep him and I would certainly like him to stay.
“I like his humour and we’ll miss that and everyone knows about his moaning and his groaning.
“But he’s a goalscorer. If we were looking for a goalscorer we would look for his type and they are hard to come by.
“But through and through he’ll be a Hibernian supporter, even if he is in a different strip.And if we can’t keep him here we will wish him well.”
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