Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Scotland
Greg Kelly Rumours and Transfers
04 10 2007
Jimmy Calderwood is determined to keep Aberdeen's UEFA Cup run going after putting so much into getting the club back on to the European stage.
The Dons face Dnipro in Ukraine on Thursday night in the second leg of their first-round clash just over three years after Calderwood took over.
The Pittodrie club had finished in the bottom half of the Scottish Premier League in the two years before his arrival but he has guided them to a top-six finish in each season in charge.
The improvement continued last season when Aberdeen finished in third spot and sealed their first European place for five years.
And Calderwood is desperate to ensure the campaign lasts beyond the first hurdle.
After a goalless draw at Pittodrie, Aberdeen would go through with a score draw.
"It will be a very difficult game, they are a good team with lots of quality but we will give it our best shot," said Calderwood.
"We are in a position we have worked so hard for for three years to get there and we are going to work very hard to try and keep it going."
Dnipro started the season brilliantly but have lost their last three games, including a cup defeat by Dynamo Kiev.
They also lost seven goals in losses to league leaders Shakhtar Donetsk and struggling Arsenal Kiev to fall nine points adrift of Shakhtar in second place.
But Calderwood is not reading much into their slump in form and expects Dnipro boss Oleg Protasov to raise their spirits ahead of the clash.
"I have seen the game against Shakhtar and I thought the first half they played really, really well," he said.
"Shakhtar upped the pace in the second half and it was a wonderful performance. It was a wonderful game to watch with lots of pace and a lot of good football. They played a weakened team in the cup tie. Sometimes managers do that and it doesn't work out. Obviously it's not good for confidence but when we played Dnipro in Aberdeen we were poor also beforehand and that was our best performance of the season. With the players they have got and a very shrewd coach, I'm sure we are going to have a very difficult game."
The Dons are without the injured Jackie McNamara, while young goalkeeper Greg Kelly will sit on the bench after Derek Soutar suffered a toe injury.
But every other first-team player travelled and trained as normal last night.
"We had a little doubt about Jamie Smith. He had the flu but he is okay," Calderwood added.
