Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin has praised Liverpool loanee Leighton Clarkson for his debut at the weekend.
Speaking via Aberdeen Live, Goodwin said that the Liverpool man was incredible on his first game for his new side. In fact, the coach went as far as saying that it was one of the best debuts he’d ever seen.
“Even though we are carrying two or three injuries at the moment, we’ve got adequate replacements in the squad. You saw that at the weekend when (Hayden) Coulson goes off we just moved (Liam) Scales to left-back and (Ross) McCrorie dropped in, then wee Leighton Clarkson came on and had one of the best debuts I’ve seen in a long, long time,” said Goodwin.
Clarkson had a game to remember as he scored a long-range piledriver barely half an hour into his spell in Scotland.
Clarkson off to the best possible start
It’s important that Clarkson has a good stint North of the border. He struggled on-loan at Blackburn Rovers last season and needs to remind those at Liverpool of his qualities.
Prior to that ill-fated spell at Ewood Park, he had been in Jurgen Klopp’s thoughts for the first-team.
The manager had included him in senior goings on a fair bit the previous season. It was hoped that game time in the Championship would be just what he needed.
Instead, it turned out to be the wrong move for the 20-year-old. After Tyler Morton emerged from the academy in his absence, the time away actually set him back a fair bit.
As a result, it was great to see him hit the ground running on Saturday. Having only signed hours before the game, Clarkson was named on the bench for Aberdeen at home to St Mirren.
But with an injury forcing a change just 12 minutes in, Clarkson made a sooner than expected debut.
It didn’t look to faze him at all. Just before half-time, he ran onto a lay-off 25 yards out and absolutely ploughed it into the top corner.
Exactly what the midfielder needed. Hopefully it signals the start of a positive time for him in Scotland.
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