Lifted from today's online Sun.

As per usual not a single quote to back up any of this.

 

 

RUSSELL ANDERSON is edging closer to an emotional return to hometown team Aberdeen.

SunSport can reveal the former Dons captain is in talks with Derby to have his contract paid up and become an instant free agent.

 

Veteran Anderson, 33, is recovering from a hamstring injury and has only six months left of his Rams deal.

 

County boss Nigel Clough is happy for the ex-Scotland stopper to leave without a fee and it's believed Anderson's already been invited to continue his rehab at Pittodrie.

 

For now it's merely a friendly gesture for a hugely popular former player who made over 300 appearances for Aberdeen between 1996-2007 and was given a testimonial.

 

But it's believed Dons boss Craig Brown is poised to make him a pay-as-you-play offer for at least the rest of the season.

 

Anderson is keen to take his family back north after four years in England.

 

He left for Sunderland in a £1million move and had high hopes of making a big impact in the Premiership.

 

But cruel injury problems wrecked his ambitions at the Stadium of Light and the man who signed him, Roy Keane, was sacked.

 

Anderson has also played for Plymouth and Burnley.

 

Brown is desperate to bring in experienced players to bolster Aberdeen's fight for SPL survival and has tried before for Ando.

 

The timing wasn't right then, but it now looks perfect.

 

Brown, though, will be anxious to discover when Anderson will be available for action again.

 

Under-pressure Dons gaffer Brown needs to strengthen a defence which let slip a 2-0 lead against St Mirren on Saturday.

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3992486/Russ-Anderson-set-for-Dons-return.html#ixzz1gJ7PCfYU

Goonzalez probably isn't costing much.

isnt gonzales leaving in january?

 

Id hope its him rather than mawene.

Would still rather a left back or a creative mid than another centre half who will not be fit until February at the earliest. Need to put the sentiment to the side here. We have plenty of cover at centre half.

Yes, all of it bad and shipping goals. If Anderson improves the team, and he would seem to be a better standard than we have AND is on payp then it is a very easy decision. There are several players I'd hastily usher out the door to accommodate Anderson and the truth is, if he isn't fit til February then let's wait til February and if it's a payp deal it's academic anyway.

 

 

Craig brown saying on Stv we can only get him in if someone leaves. who can we punt to get him in that won't cost us in compensation?

 

McArdle is wanted elsewhere 

McArdle is wanted elsewhere 

 

By Brown?

Brown talks at length about him here, doesn't sound too promising:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16145300.stm

No it doesn't.

How injured is this cunt? Still got 2 months before he is fit apparently and cant go 5 mins without his groin or hamstring going. The last thing we need is another Jamie Smith.

How injured is this cunt? Still got 2 months before he is fit apparently and cant go 5 mins without his groin or hamstring going. The last thing we need is another Jamie Smith.

 

Right now I'd fucking take him too.

He's a cunt is he? 

He's a cunt is he? 

 

Aye, a cunt you cunt. Getting all misty eyed and remembering him at his peak before he left is not what he is now.

Aye, a cunt you cunt. Getting all misty eyed and remembering him at his peak before he left is not what he is now.

 

And dismissing some "cunt" that could probably improve the team is just as fucking thick.

Aye, a cunt you cunt. Getting all misty eyed and remembering him at his peak before he left is not what he is now.

 

Who's getting misty eyed?  Did you get stuck in the Dundee rush hour or something?

 

 

Aye - wouldn't mind both the cunts back, but recon all they can do is ruin the good memories I have of both.

 

Reluctant pass on both.

And dismissing some "cunt" that could probably improve the team is just as fucking thick.

 

Not dismissing him, just pointing out he wont be as near as good as he was when he left and there are serious injury problems in there.

 

Who's getting misty eyed?  Did you get stuck in the Dundee rush hour or something?

 

Yawn

Don't see why he's not as good as he left? If he can stay fit he can be.

Who's getting misty eyed?  Did you get stuck in the Dundee rush hour or something?

 

Dundee Rush Hour?

 

Don't see why he's not as good as he left? If he can stay fit he can be.

 

2 words....Chris Clark.

 

 

granted he wasn't very good when he left. but now he's abysmal.

Don't see why he's not as good as he left? If he can stay fit he can be.

 

if you exclude injuries you still have his age

if you exclude injuries you still have his age

 

 

Defenders peak between 30 and 35!

And to think Lee Wilkie retired at 30. If only he knew what lay ahead.  (I know it was through an injury not personal choice before someone chirps up about it :-D)

No two ways about it if anderson stays injury free he woudl be a huge asset

To me, this is a no-brainer.

 

Get him signed up as a player-coach on a two-year deal. Even if he just trains with the muppets we have at the back at the minute, he can't fail but to improve them.

 

McArdle, Mawene, Mackie and several others could easily be shipped out - they are mince. Would happily see us blooding some youngsters at the back beside Considine, under Anderson's tutelage, in preference to the never-beens we have at the minute.

 

Desperate times and all that...

 

 

Former Aberdeen skipper Russell Anderson hoping for Pittodrie return after leaving Derby County

 

Dec 13 2011 Exclusive by Gavin Berry

 

RUSSELL ANDERSON admits he has to beat the crock at Pittodrie or he’ll have to call time on his dream of starring for the Dons again.

 

The Aberdeen legend is using his hometown club’s training facilities as he looks to end the four-and-a-half years of injury hell he has suffered since leaving his boyhood heroes.

 

The 33-year-old is fighting his way back from a ruptured hamstring after leaving Derby by mutual consent.

 

And he is now desperate to pull on a red jersey again to confound the critics who have already written him off.

 

Anderson, who’ll be cheering on his old team as they take on St Johnstone tonight, said: “I’ve been injured a lot and let down too many times.

 

“I’ve thought, ‘I’m over this’ lots of times and had a good pre-season and broken down again.

 

“I’d love to keep playing. I know there will be people out there who say, ‘He’s had too many injuries’ so I just want to prove my fitness first and foremost and anything after that is a bonus.

 

“I am under no illusions that I need to prove myself all over again. I have a bit to go before I will be playing again. We’re talking months rather than weeks.

 

“At the end of the day I’d like to play but sometimes that can be taken out of your hands.

 

“I’ll use the facilities at Aberdeen to continue my rehabilitation. I know the physios at the club and I have faith in them.

 

“Everyone knows I’m from Aberdeen and the plan was always to come home at some stage but it’s maybe come a bit quicker than I thought.”

 

Anderson’s troubles began soon after he was signed by Sunderland boss Roy Keane for £1million in 2007.

 

The centre-half only played one Premiership game before rupturing his ankle ligaments.

 

As he battled back to fitness he was loaned out to Plymouth and Burnley but was then hit with a serious knee problem. He moved to Derby in 2010 but his time there was also blighted by injury and Rams boss Nigel Clough was happy to let him go.

 

Anderson said: “With the rehabilitation I was doing, the manager looked at the bigger picture and I came to an agreement with Derby on Friday to terminate my contract.

 

“I have to say it’s been one big anti-climax since I left Aberdeen.

 

“It has been frustrating and disappointing to have not played as much as I would have liked.”

 

The former Scotland star started his career at Pittodrie and spent 11 years at the club.

 

And Craig Brown admits he’d love to hand Anderson a deal – so long as he is over all his injury problems.

 

He said: “It would be a wonderful acquisition, if he’s fit.

 

“We’d love to have him back on the staff here but it would require someone buying one of our players or players moving on elsewhere.

 

“Our player budget has reached its limit and that reduces the immediate chance of him signing.”

 

Aberdeen skipper Ricky Foster would also love to see his predecessor sign on again at his spiritual home. He said: “Russell was a great player for Aberdeen.

 

“He was one of the main reasons we qualified for Europe and why we were in the top six every season.

 

“He was inspirational to the team and especially for young players like myself and Andrew Considine at the time. It would give us all a massive lift to have him back.”