Glass confident his own experiences can help Ramsay

Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass hopes his own experiences can help teenage defender Calvin Ramsay grow into a key player for the club.

Scotland youth international Ramsay, 18, came through the Pittodrie ranks and made his first-team debut towards the end of last season.

Right-back Ramsay impressed again in the Europa Conference League third qualifying round first leg tie at Breidablik in Iceland on Thursday night.

The 18-year-old helped to set up Christian Ramirez for the opening goal from a well-worked corner as the Dons battled to a 3-2 win, which they will defend back in front of what is expected to be a bumper home crowd on August 12.

Glass was himself once touted as the Dons great hope.

The midfield prospect helped Aberdeen stay up in 1994/95 campaign via a relegation play-off and then turned in a man-of-the-match performance in the 1995 League Cup final success over Dundee before eventually joining English Premier League club Newcastle.

Glass, 45, can see comparisons between his own career path and that which could lay ahead for Ramsay.

“It is all part of managing at this football club. The reason that I am here, because I have got an experience with young players, in being one and helping to bring them through,” the Aberdeen boss said.

“Anything I can do which helps any player at the club, I will lean on the experience that I have got, and there is an obvious experience there.

“I can help him (Ramsay). I can remember Willie Miller just telling me to go on and enjoy it, which freed me up almost to go and play, be as good as I could be.

“I think if I can do that for the young players here, then I am doing my job right, like the previous managers have done here.

“For young players, they love an opportunity to get in the first team and then it is how they respond.”

Glass added: “With 5,000 or 6,000, that is probably the biggest crowds which Calvin has played in front of and it (attendance) is ramping up pretty quick, so it is different demands.

“You might see a little dip here and there, but it is important we manage him properly and I think it is important for him to try to be the best professional that he can, which he is.

“We are seeing the signs of that and we are delighted with that, but we will be patient and we will push him the right way. I think we will get every thing we need from him.”

Aberdeen did not return from Iceland until the early hours of Friday morning, so there is little turnaround time ahead of Sunday’s cinch Premiership match at Livingston.

“They might fancy their chances because they might feel like we’re a little bit tired,” Glass said.

“They want to get in our faces, but we will be ready for any event. It is up to us to overcome it.”