HE was the Aberdeen hero who was content to stay put and pull on the red jersey until it was time to hang up his boots.

But a £1m bid from Sunderland, then in English football’s top tier, forced the hand of the Pittodrie board and Russell Anderson’s career took a twist he never bargained for.

Today, there are parallels with the current club captain, Graeme Shinnie, although this time the player holds all the aces and, at what he considers the appropriate moment, he will reveal his plans when his contract expires in the summer.

Anderson’s two years down south were punctuated by injury after Roy Keane, the manager who signed him for the Black Cats, decided after one full game that the transfer was a mistake and, while it was a lucrative period for the defender with loans at Plymouth and Burnley before half a season at Derby County and a return to Aberdeen in January 2012, the momentum gained in nearly 300 appearances for his hometown team before his departure had been lost.

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With that kind of insight, he is aware of the kind of thoughts currently running through the mind of Shinnie, four years at Aberdeen and perhaps ready to move on. Anderson also recognise the stature in which he is held by the fans who witness a remarkable level of consistency week in, week out from the Scotland internationalist.

“I have an idea what he’ll be considering,” he said. “His standing at Aberdeen as a player, how well thought-of he is, the chance to win trophies as a captain – that’s all well documented. But there are other things that you have to take into account. You’ve seen it happen to other players that they’ve done well when they’ve been here and, naturally, they’ve attracted attention from other clubs.

“I can appreciate the position he is in but ultimately it is going to be his call. Whatever he decides to do, then I’m sure he’ll explain it. Personally, I’d like to see him stay because he’s been such a big player for the team since he’s been here.

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“I think the fans have taken to him because of the way he plays. That’s not to say that other players give less, but I just think he’s infectious in terms of the way he delivers his performances.

“He can have a positive impact in terms of the players around him and I think the fans appreciate that. They see him as one of their own.

The entire support would be disappointed if he moved on but I think some would recognise it for what it is.

“It’s a difficult one for him but he is at a stage now in his career where he needs to make what he feels is the right decision because football can change very quickly and I’ve seen that myself.”

Anderson, 40 and now a financial services adviser, reflected on his own situation 12 years ago when he left Pittodrie at the height of his career.

“At that time the club was in a different place,” he said. “And they were starting to look at the changing landscape of Scottish football. I think they felt that with the debt they had, they had to get a transfer fee for me. They also felt that maybe I’d been there long enough so deserved an opportunity to maybe go and try somewhere else. It was different circumstances to an extent.

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“It’s not an easy decision which is why it does take time when it comes to it. I don’t know the ins and outs of it but I’m sure Graeme will come out and make his decision. The club will already be planning on the different outcomes and will be doing their due diligence on potential replacements because they have to. They’ll be hoping they don’t need them.”

Anderson admitted the club had shown improvements in recent years but pointed to the positive difference their league form had shown under Jimmy Calderwood, despite their failings in cup competitions where a series of lower league sides had eliminated them. Now, he believes, Aberdeen is seen as a club that can persuade better players north because of their profile and success in reaching the Europa League qualifiers for the past few seasons.

“Aberdeen are seen as a more attractive proposition to players, without being disrespectful, to teams like St Mirren and Inverness, from which they have cherry-picked their best players [Kenny McLean, from the former and Shinnie from the latter] and they’ve used the platform at Aberdeen to continue to improve.

“Whereas for a while, going back a few years, I’m not so sure Aberdeen stood out any more than a few other clubs, to be honest. You were contending with those ones to convince these players that you were worthy of them coming to you. Whereas now, because of how well they’ve done, they’re seen as a more attractive proposition.”