Dons Appoint Head Of Recruitment

Aberdeen this afternoon have appointed Russ Richardson as head of recruitment at Pittodrie. This is a brand new role created by the club and this position will oversee all aspects of recruitment, scouting and assessing opposition.
Derek McInnes is delighted to have Russ on board as he has worked with him previously and feels his knowledge and understanding will be of great benefit to the team.

"Restructuring the recruitment of playing staff for Aberdeen FC was something I was keen to see put in place ahead of the new season.

"Both myself and the Club feel it is important we are more prominent in England assessing young players coming through the academy system as well as senior players at all levels. Russ has contacts at every level of the game there and an excellent knowledge of Clubs and structures that will provide us with invaluable information on the talent that is available.

Between my staff at the Club, we will be able to cover games at every level to identify talented young players coming through that can supplement the great young talent already on our books. In that regard we will all be reporting to Russ with regards to player assessments so that we maximise the information available to us when we are looking at recruitment options. Russ will also work with my staff and our scouts carrying out opposition analysis to ensure we are as well prepared as we can be.

"Russ is well respected by managers, agents and representatives of clubs and his knowledge of the Championship and the lower leagues in England is second to none. He'll work extremely hard to identify good players and put a scouting system in place which the Club will reap the benefits of for many years to come."

Chief Executive Duncan Fraser added "The appointment of Russ in this new role is a very major step forward for the Club. His knowledge will be invaluable and greatly assist in terms of contract negotiations and maximising the budget at our disposal"

Interview from Aberdeen FC website