Exclusive: Aberdeen legend Niall McGinn on signing for Peterhead at almost 38 – as he nears Dons return.

Former Aberdeen and new Peterhead attacker Niall McGinn has revealed his short and long-term reasons for returning to the north-east of Scotland, with a Dons job on the horizon.

Niall McGinn, an Aberdeen legend, has revealed both the short-term and long-term reasons for his return to the north-east after joining Peterhead. McGinn, who turns 38 on Sunday, has joined Jordon Brown and Ryan Strachan’s promoted Blue Toon for his first season in League One, alongside a number of former Dons, including fellow 2014 Reds League Cup winners Peter Pawlett and Cammy Smith, at Balmoor.

He came on as a substitute for seven minutes in Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup-opening Balmoor loss to Championship Morton and could play again on Tuesday against Premiership hosts Motherwell.

McGinn’s career has taken him from his hometown club Dungannon Swifts to Derry City, Celtic, Brentford, and Aberdeen in two spells, including a six-month stint at South Korean club Gwangju. Since the end of McGinn’s second five-year Pittodrie contract in 2022, he has spent a season at Dundee and two years with Glentoran, who loaned him to Championship side Morton last season. So, as he approaches his fifth decade, why is the 72-cap international, who starred for his country at the 2016 Euros, still committed to playing in Scotland’s third tier?

“I’ve always had a drive. “I’ve always had a competitive edge, wanting to win and be ambitious,” McGinn said. Niall McGinn of Northern Ireland celebrates after scoring against Ukraine at Euro 2016. Image: PA.

“Of course, people’s opinions and experiences vary over time. Obviously, (saying:) ‘you aren’t as good as you were ten years ago’ – but that doesn’t bother me. “I’m 38 years old on July 20th, so to be still playing at a high level at that age speaks volumes about me and how I’ve conducted myself.

“I’m going to a club in Peterhead that is ambitious and just got promoted last year; things are good, things are still very professional, and there are a lot of good players, young players, and obviously experienced players. “So I’m still coming to a good environment where they want to play football, be ambitious, and win things.

“There’s many reasons there.”

McGinn wanted back to Aberdeen – and Peterhead was perfect fit

Fundamentally, McGinn is determined to continue playing for as long as possible, and his Peterhead opportunity was sparked by conversations with former teammate Smith.

McGinn stated: “Over the last six months, I spoke with Cammy Smith a few times, and it was just in the back of my mind (as) an opportunity to return to Aberdeen. “I still have my house here, which is great. I bought it about five years ago.

“So I think just having the affiliation with Aberdeen, living in Aberdeen, enjoying my time here, enjoying the city, and obviously Peterhead being close by (were part of it).

“And I still want to play football first and foremost; many people have told me over the years to keep playing football for as long as possible! “That’s just been my mindset and hopefully I’ll just keep continuing to do that.”

‘I can learn from Peterhead co-manager’

All playing careers come to an end, and McGinn, who has earned his A licence in coaching, sees Peterhead as a way to “give back” to younger players – and another ex-teammate in Brown – while also developing his own experience.

McGinn stated, “It’s just helping the young lads, and I’m leaning on the manager’s shoulder – if he needs to speak with me about anything, or if I need to ask him about something. “I kind of have that relationship. Jordan was a young player at Aberdeen when I joined the team. “He has done well, and he is clearly learning on the job as a manager; I can learn from people like him.

“I’ve reaped benefits and rewards from working with various managers over the years. “You can take sort of the good and bad from everybody, whether it’s the sort of the younger generation coming through now or it’s the so-called older generation.”

Aberdeen FC to welcome McGinn back into fold

It’s unclear whether the chicken followed the egg, or vice versa, but The Press and Journal understands McGinn will continue to play for Peterhead and mentor their younger players informally while also taking on a formal youth coaching role with Aberdeen at Cormack Park this season. He will follow in the footsteps of fellow club legend Andy Considine, who currently coaches the Reds’ under-17s. McGinn’s Dons role has yet to be officially announced, but he did tell us: “It’s where I enjoyed my football the most, where I played my best football, and I have a good affiliation with the city, the fans, and the people who work at Aberdeen Football Club – there are a lot of good people there.

“I was probably coming back with a mindset; I’ve always loved Scotland in general – I know how passionate people are about their football here, how well it’s advertised, and how the press works.

“Even last season, I enjoyed doing some media work with BBC Scotland Sportscene and Red TV, as well as other bits and bobs. “I’m just hoping that over the next few months, I’ll be able to get involved in various things if the opportunity arises, whether it’s coaching or something else.

“Once you’re affiliated with football for the guts of 17-odd years professionally, I think it’s the only thing you know if you know what I mean, and to sort of be involved with Aberdeen again, something like that would probably be a long-term plan if that happens to be.”

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