Calvin Ramsay and 6 other Aberdeen graduates from Pittodrie's conveyor belt of academy talent - Football Scotland

2022-06-25 06:29:53 By : Mr. Shunhe Hand Truck

The Aberdeen youth academy has produced some big players in recent years

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The recent sale of Calvin Ramsay to Liverpool brought Aberdeen plenty of money when he signed for a deal that could be worth as much as £8million if he reaches his potential.

The full back has been excellent since making his debut for the club and is now hoping to make his mark in the English Premier League but has a tough task ahead of him with Trent Alexander-Arnold a key player for Jurgen Klopp.

It's also brought the conveyer belt of talent that Aberdeen have brought through their academy into light as he becomes the latest player to make a move away from Pittodrie and there's more following in his footsteps too. The likes of Connor Barron, Jack MacKenzie and Connor McLennan could also potentially be regulars for the club this season while Dean Campbell is out on loan at Stevenage but still has a big future ahead of him.

And Football Scotland have taken a look at some of the players who have come through the ranks before heading off for pastures new, just like Ramsay.

The centre back came through the system and was handed his debut by Derek McInnes. He made his debut in 2015 after a loan spell at Ayr United the season before. A second loan spell at Ayr came after a disappointing time at Alloa and he impressed at Somerset in that season.

A return to Aberdeen soon followed and he quickly become a key player in McInnes’ side and that continued for the next few seasons.

In total he made 118 appearances for the club before making his move to England.

Nottingham Forest paid a fee of £3m that would rise to £6m after promotion to the English Premier League.

His form there saw him win Player of the Season during their promotion campaign and he’ll play in the English top flight next season.

The midfielder made 250 appearances after coming through the ranks at Pittodrie, initially as a right back. He made his debut against Rangers in September 2010.

He made 30 appearances in his first season but it was when McInnes became boss that he really kicked on when he moved into central midfield.

From there he was pivotal for the Dons and helped them to League Cup success.

The ex-Dons captain then made the decision to move to Rangers on a free-transfer and join his boyhood heroes.

Since then he’s become a key player under Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst and was a regular in the Scotland squad but injuries have hampered that progress.

Another former Aberdeen player who upset the fans by moving to Glasgow with Rangers. The winger had a mixed spell at the Dons but played key roles for the Ibrox side on their way to the Europa League Final and Scottish Cup success this season.

The 24-year-old only made 80 appearances in total for Aberdeen and also had a loan spell at Dundee.

Gerrard decided to bring him to Ibrox last summer and he impressed during the first six months.

But it was more of a struggle at the start of the second campaign until van Bronckhorst took over and began trusting him more.

He scored the second goal in Rangers’ Scottish Cup Final but it was another player Aberdeen brought through and lost on a free transfer.

Ryan Fraser has been a regular in the English Premier League in recent years and is viewed as the one who got away when he left after just 21 appearances for Aberdeen.

He came through the ranks and was excellent during the 2012/13 campaign under Craig Brown but turned down an extended deal and decided to move on.

He made a move to Bournemouth for £400k with many surprised he would drop to England’s League One.

But he helped the Cherries to promotion in their first season and then again in the 2014/15 season as they got to the English Premier League for the first time.

Fraser wasn’t viewed as ready for the top flight at that time and was loaned back to the Championship with Ipswich.

He became a regular in the Premier League after that and was so impressive he was linked with a big money move to Arsenal.

Eventually Fraser ran down his contract and even turned down an extension to play out the rest of the season after the Covid-19 shutdown.

From there, he signed a five-year deal at Newcastle but he could move on again this summer after their big money takeover.

Jack Grimmer is another Dons youngster who was viewed as leaving too early, and it did look like it would be that way for a long time.

He was Aberdeen’s youngest ever player when he made his debut at Ibrox in April 2010.

But he decided to leave the club in 2012 and joined Fulham where he spent the next five years, playing just 13 times.

He had three separate loan spells at Shrewsbury as well as one at Port Vale before joining Coventry on a permanent deal.

After being released he joined Wycombe and earned promotion to the Championship before being relegated the following season.

He’s a key player for the Chairboys but hasn’t quite reached the level his potential suggested he would.

The 23-year-old came through the ranks at Aberdeen after joining from Dyce Boys Club.

After a loan spell at Elgin City where he scored six goals in 14 games before returning to Pittodrie.

He made his Aberdeen debut on the opening day of the following season and scored a stoppage time equaliser to draw 1-1 with Rangers.

He never quite managed to break into McInnes’ team on a regular basis and had further loan spells at Dunfermline, Ayr and Hamilton before signing a three-year deal at Livingston.

It’s there that he’s started showing his potential with 11 goals in 26 league games.

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