Aberdeen: Stephen Glass leaves 'best club in USA' to become manager
- Published
Stephen Glass began his playing career at Aberdeen
Stephen Glass has been appointed manager of Aberdeen and says "it had to be something special" to tempt him away from Atlanta United.
The Pittodrie club parted company with Derek McInnes in March after a run of disappointing results during his eighth year at the helm.
Glass returns to the club where the 44-year-old began his playing career.
"I'm leaving behind what I think is the best club in the United States," their second-string head coach said.
"But, when there's a chance to put your name forward for Aberdeen, it's something I had to do. I wouldn't come back here for something where I didn't think I could be successful."
Glass, who enjoyed a four-year spell in the Aberdeen first team before moving on to Newcastle United, is "hugely excited" about plans outlined to him for next season by the club.
"Dons fans can be assured by my drive for Aberdeen to compete fiercely and to win," he told his new club's website. "Successful Aberdeen managers put trophies in the cabinet and hopefully I can be here long enough to do that."
Celtic captain Scott Brown and England's striker coach Alan Russell have been linked with moves to the club as members of Glass' backroom team.
The new manager himself hopes, quarantine rules allowing, to be in post ahead of Aberdeen's first game after the international break, away to Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup.
Glass revealed that striker Jon Gallagher's loan to Aberdeen from Atlanta last season "sparked my interest".
"Then there were no games over here because of the coronavirus, so I was able to watch RedTV pretty religiously and I think I've watched every game this season," he said.
McInnes left his post by mutual consent following a draw against Scottish Premiership strugglers Hamilton Academical with the Pittodrie side's hopes of catching third-placed Hibernian looking slim.
Aberdeen are seven points adrift with 15 left to play for, having won just one of their last 10 matches.
"There's a lot of players out of contract this summer, but there's no decisions made on any of them at the moment," Glass insisted. "There are some really good players at Pittodrie at present."
He said he would be looking to revive the "fast, attacking football, scoring goals" he experienced at Pittodrie in the tradition of former managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Alex Smith.
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack, who is based in Atlanta, took advice from Sir Alex on their managerial search.
Cormack said: "His winning mentality, having been mentored in the 'Aberdeen Way' from an early age by the likes of Teddy Scott, Alex Smith and Willie Miller, and desire to embrace the club's strategy were key factors in our decision.
"He is committed to an exciting, attacking style of football and maximising our player budget so we can get the best out of, and right balance between, experienced players and, crucially, developing and playing young first-team players."
Glass, who also had spells at Watford, Hibernian, Dunfermline Athletic and the Carolina Railhawks and earned one Scotland cap, went on to spend two years as assistant manager at Shamrock Rovers before taking up a role at Atlanta in 2017.
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