MacFarlane relishing fresh start at Pittodrie

NEIL MacFarlane last night signed a contract with Aberdeen and set his sights on helping them challenge former club Hearts as the third force in Scottish football.

The player's original deal runs until the end of this season, but he will be awarded a long-term contract if he makes the expected impact during that time.

The midfielder made just two starting appearances for the Tynecastle team this season after effectively being frozen out by both George Burley and Graham Rix.

Despite that, MacFarlane insists he leaves with nothing but happy memories of a club he negotiated a severance payment with before heading north yesterday.

A desire for regular first-team football was the motivation for the move, but the player is convinced the free transfer to Pittodrie is not a downward step for his career.

He said: "I can understand how things worked out at Hearts as the team kept winning when I was out, but I can look back on three great years at Tynecastle.

"We finished third in the league a couple of times and I got a taste of European football when we got through to the group stage of the UEFA Cup so I want more of the same at Aberdeen.

"I feel it's a real privilege to be joining a club that's just as big as the one I'm leaving and with the potential to do just as well in the future

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As MacFarlane arrived, former Leeds United midfielder Jamie Winter made way by joining St Johnstone on loan until the end of the season.

Manger Jimmy Calderwood had admitted players would have to leave before any new faces arrived, but spent the first half of this week in England in the hope of making three signings before the transfer window closes next Tuesday.

Taken from the Scotsman