David Goodwillie is determined to make the most of his second chance at Aberdeen.
The forward returned to Scottish football with a point to prove last summer following a three-year non-event in English football with Blackburn Rovers.
Goodwillie had left Dundee United as one of the country’s brightest young talents, but his time in England with Rovers will be remembered for sporadic appearances and spells on loan at Crystal Palace, Blackpool and back in Scotland with United.
Aberdeen offered the 26-year-old a chance of redemption and he looked determined to grab it with a promising first half of the campaign, before his form petered out in the New Year.
Goodwillie bounced back in impressive fashion in the heat of Croatia last week after signing a one-year contract extension in the summer.
He produced a terrific display of leading the line on his own in a 3-0 win, culminating in a great moment to set up Kenny McLean for the third goal which has put the his team firmly in the driving seat as they try to overcome HNK Rijeka in tonight’s Europa League second qualifying round second leg at Pittodrie.
The decision from manager Derek McInnes to start Goodwillie ahead of last season’s leading-scorer Adam Rooney was a significant one and Goodwillie is eager to make the most of his opportunity. He said: “Last season was a good first six months but a bad second six months for me.
“I was enjoying it at the start as I was in the team a lot, but then I missed out afterwards that’s football.
“I didn’t play as much in the second half of the campaign and that was obviously frustrating.
“The manager changed the system a little bit and Adam banged in the goals which was great as the team was winning.”
The Dons found themselves in the position of having it all to do in the third qualifying round last year when they faced Real Sociedad at Pittodrie having lost the first leg 2-0 in San Sebastian.
Goodwillie said: “We need to take the experience from that game a tie is never dead and buried as we thought we could get through.”
“Rijeka might get frustrated if they don’t score early on, but they have got the quality to score.”
The Dons have an unchanged squad tonight, with only Mark Reynolds missing the Pittodrie clash.