Fletcher Boyd recalls 'mental' finale to Aberdeen season

Aberdeen teenager Fletcher Boyd reflected on a “mental” end to last season as he prepares for the upcoming campaign under new boss Jimmy Thelin.

After helping the Pittodrie club’s under-18s win the league against their Rangers counterparts in Glasgow, the 16-year-old attacking midfielder was drafted into the senior side by then interim manager Peter Leven for the cinch Premiership game against Hibernian at Easter Road two days later.

Boyd came off the bench to make his debut in the 83rd minute and scored the fourth goal in the 4-0 win with a close-range finish in the closing seconds.

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In his second appearance against Livingston at Pittodrie three days later, he again came off the bench to score, this time driving in the fifth goal in a 5-1 win from outside the box.

Speaking at the Dons’ training camp in Portugal, Boyd, in his first pre-season trip away, told Red TV: “It was mental, because we won the (under-18s) league and I scored two days after.

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“And then I was like, whoa, I don’t think I’ll happen again and then it happened again. So it was good.

“There was a lot of nerves before the (under-18s) game because we had just lost the cup final (to Rangers). So it felt like we had to win the league and then we went 1-0 down but we managed to recover it (to win 2-1) so that was a relief.

“I scored. We were 1-0 down and I got the equaliser so it was a good feeling.

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“He (Leven) told me on the Friday night after the Rangers game. I was going back to my digs to get changed to go to out with a few of the boys and I got a phone call – and then I stayed in.

“I was excited, but I was shocked. I didn’t expect that at all.

“My dad missed the game at Hibs because he couldn’t make it but he manged to be there at Pittodrie so it was good to score in front of him.”