Connor Goldson admits delight at reunion with ex-Rangers man
And Goldson believes the arrival of Balogun can help them go one better than last season where Aris finished runners-up to Pafos FC in the Cypriot League.
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He said: "Leon's arrival is great for me and the club. He is a good, experienced defender.
"We needed a new defender and he will fit in really well to Aris.
"He has lots of experience and he is a leader and he will do really well I'm sure. I am sure he will help us both in the league and in Europe.
"Last season, we broke our record for the most points we have ever collected, but it still wasn't enough to win the title."This season I want to go one better.
"I really like it here. The football is really good and my family love it on the island."
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Jimmy Thelin on Aberdeen lessons as Ipswich named 'the level we are aiming to'
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2 hours ago
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Jamie McGrath reveals the truth about his Hibs glory goal as recruit jokes about Aberdeen transfer redemption
The summer addition made an impact in the Conference League after his summer switch from the Dons New Hibs hero Jamie McGrath has revealed his free kick goal was off the cuff - but it was meant. The midfielder marked his debut with the opening goal in the 1-1 draw away to Midtjylland that has given the Hibees the advantage going into Thursday's Easter Road Europa League qualifying return. McGrath scored with a near post free kick, which keeper Jonas Lossl fumbled in at his near post. Hibs manager David Gray suggested it may have been a cross but McGrath claimed he saw the keeper leaving a big gap and exploited it. McGrath confirmed: 'Yes, me and Jordan stood over the ball and we just had a brief chat, We kind of spotted the keeper cheating a little bit. "I was like, yes, I'll whip it into the near post. Worst case scenario, the keeper catches it, but best case, we obviously scored.' McGrath had joked before the game that he had to pay back his teammates because he had been part of Aberdeen 's Scottish Cup-winning squad that had cost them a guaranteed place in the group stages. The last goal he scored in Europe was also a free kick for Aberdeen against PAOK a few seasons ago. The 28-year old acknowledged: 'I had to make it up to them some way! It was obviously a nice start, nice to get my first competitive goal. 'Yes, it was a free kick (for Aberdeen) as well. It is a nice trend. Hopefully we get a free kick next week. It's obviously nice to help the boys out.' Hibs were denied a famous win by another set piece straight out of the top drawer from Midtjylland's Aral Simsir. McGrath insisted it was no thing of beauty for Hibs. He stated: 'No, I never admire it. 'You're just thinking, oh no!. 'There wasn't much we could have done about it. Maybe foul the player a bit earlier in that attack. 'It's always when you look back, you can change different things. 'The pleasing thing was how we defended the box. From the front, I thought we defended really well. The two boys up top worked their socks off and the boys that came in as well carried on the trend. I think probably a draw was a fair result. 'But yeah, they're used to being in the Champions League, so we probably would take a draw going into next week.' McGrath knows from experience that it is fine margins at this level and it could have been so different if VAR hadn't ruled out Martin Boyle's goal that would have given Hibs a 2-0 lead. 'I think overall we defended the box really well,' McGrath insisted. 'We kind of limited them to a moment of magic that obviously equalised the game. 'I think if we were a little bit tidier on transitions, we could have maybe capitalised on that a bit better, especially in the second half. Martin Boyle was very close to being onside at all. 'I didn't see it back, but he obviously was offside if VAR gave it. But, of course there's positives to be taken from tonight. We're going back to a home game next week. I think that's what we aim to do, is bring it back there. 'But, it's only halfway, we can't get too excited. We'll bring it back next week and give ourselves a chance.' There were more than 1,000 Hibs fans in the MCH Arena. McGrath admitted that they were everywhere - even in their Herning hotel. He was delighted to give them something to celebrate and wants them to play their part at Easter Road next week. The former St Mirren and Dundee United player joked: 'Yes, waking us up this morning! 'You could hear them outside the window all day. I don't know if there's much to do around here, but they've been brilliant. 'Hopefully they'll have a good night tonight and get back safe tomorrow. Like I said, Easter Road will be jammed next week. 'I'm really looking forward to it now.' McGrath wants them to make full use of it and finish off the job at Easter Road. The winners face a tie against Fredrikstrad in the third qualifying round and McGrath wants that rather than the consolation of dropping down into the Conference League. McGrath, who scored Hibs goal in Denmark, warned: 'It's only halfway, both teams feeling each other out as well. 'It's going to be a completely different game next week as well. 'We know that. We can't get too high or too low. We have to address it the same way as we addressed it this week. But we have that little edge with the home fans on our side next week.' It might look like Hibs have done the hard part in Denmark but McGrath knows from bitter experience that you need to do the business at home. He was part of the Aberdeen team who battled back to a 2-2 draw away to BK Hacken and then lost the return in a Europa League qualifier at Pittodrie. The new signing warned: 'That's the thing, Europe can switch in the flick of a switch. We know we have to address it like we have done this week. 'We know in Europe if you switch off for a minute you get punished. We're going to have to be on our A game next week to give ourselves a chance to get through.'
Scotsman
3 hours ago
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The Scottish football teamsheet that might be worth a pretty penny after historic night
Dundee United's foreigner first in Europe is a far cry from the 1980s Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... At a boom time for football memorabilia, what price the slightly crumpled bit of paper lying on the desk in front of me? The Rangers jersey worn by Tommy McLean in the 1972 European Cup-Winners' Cup final recently set a new record for a Scottish football shirt when it sold for £19,000. I'm thinking I should keep hold of my teamsheet from the first leg of Dundee United's Conference League second qualifying round tie against FC UNA Strassen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is most definitely a collector's item and now I am kicking myself for having spoiled it. Next to each United player's name, I have scribbled the country for whom they are eligible to play international football. Not once did I have to write 'Scotland', which is why the teamsheet, albeit slightly defaced (my bad), could merit a place in a Scottish football museum in time. Not one Scot featured in the starting XI for Dundee United against UNA Strassen. | SNS Group As you'll be aware by now, for the first time in Dundee United's proud history, a club that once provided five players for a Scotland World Cup squad and were regarded as the last word in developing young Scottish talent sent out a team without a single Scot in it on Thursday evening. I even heard it described as the saddest teamsheet in the club's history – Steve Clarke, the current Scotland manager, might well agree. It sparked plenty of comment across social media, understandably so, while calling to mind the wonderful photograph celebrating the achievement mentioned above when United players – namely Maurice Malpas, Eamonn Bannon, David Narey, Richard Gough and Paul Sturrock - made up roughly 22 per cent of the 1986 World Cup squad in Mexico. The picture in question has the quintet sitting team photo style and includes Walter Smith, who had just joined Rangers from the United coaching staff. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland's new breed This crop of talent – Bannon joined from Chelsea, the rest were home-grown and helped United claim their only Scottish league title in 1983 – was rivalled by a later wave including Duncan Ferguson, Christian Dailly and Ray McKinnon. The New Breed, they called themselves while testing Jim McLean's mettle. The current new breed is likewise young and ambitious. They just require a plane ticket. Manager Jim Goodwin flagged his intentions earlier this summer while observing that he'd had 'considerable success' while at Aberdeen and St Mirren when exploring foreign markets. He certainly hit the jackpot in the case of Bojan Miovski, who earned Aberdeen several million quid last year. All 11 United signings made so far this summer have been non-Scots. After skipper Ross Graham, perhaps the only native player assured of a starting berth, succumbed to an injury that could see him sidelined for up to three months, it was always likely United might line up the way they did on Thursday night at some point. The Scotland team line up before a match against Israel in 1986, including four Dundee Utd players: (L-R) Charlie Nicholas , Eamon Bannon , Graeme Sharp , David Narey , Richard Gough , Jim Bett , Paul McStay , Roy Aitken , Maurice Malpas , Jim Leighton and Willie Miller. | SNS Group 0141 221 3602 It felt particularly notable that they should do so in a European tie given United's successes of old, such as the night(s) they humbled Barcelona in 1987 with 11 Scots. It ought to be noted that when they beat the same side home and away 21 years earlier in the Fairs Cup, they did so with a team including a Norwegian and two Swedes. United were pioneers when it came to exploring the Scandinavian market. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's also incumbent to note that two Scots did take the field on Thursday night in the shape of substitutes Craig Sibbald and Owen Stirton, the latter a more than promising product of the United Academy from far off Forfar. Still, I wondered as I passed Club '83 on St Salvador Street after Thursday's game whether United's first non-Scottish XI might be the main topic of discussion at the bar or would it be shrugged off as just what happens now. It's modern football, innit? Rangers' team of 2000 Not even so modern. After all, it's now over 25 years – March 2000 – since Rangers fielded a team without a Scot in it for the first time. Looking back at contemporary reports, this seemingly historic event barely rated a mention as the Ibrox side were held 0-0 at home by St Johnstone. Maybe, given Rangers had been accused of buying success since the Souness Revolution, it just felt like the logical next step. Celtic, meanwhile, were behind the curve. It was not until 8 September 2001 in a 3-1 win over Dunfermline that they emulated Rangers on this score with a team including the likes of Dmitri Kharine (Russia) and Olivier Tebily (Ivory Coast). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One might imagine Tom Cairns, the Dundee United historian, having something to say on the seeming repudiation of the club's proud past and he does in a way. 'It's quite blunt,' he answers. 'The Dundee United Football Club of the last five years bears little resemblance to the club that I and many others grew up with.' He's long understood the past is another country. The now famous team sheet from Dundee United's Conference League against UNA Strassen | Alan Pattullo Remarkably, Cairns has only ever missed one home United European game – against Trabzonspor in 1997. He's seen them joust with giants on the European arena with a team full of Scots and he's now seen them beat a part-time side from Luxembourg 1-0 with a starting XI devoid of native talent. As a historian, did it feel momentous? 'No,' he replies, instantly dampening my excitement about the prospect of retiring with the proceeds from my teamsheet sale. 'It was mooted the other week that it must be very close to that happening. 'At the end of the day, it's like the new strip – do you like the strip or not? Well, I don't care about the strip. I just want to know there are good players inside it.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The finances don't add up It's a further sign of the way football is going, he explains: 'I am quite sure there are certain players they would like to have signed in Scotland but financially it's beyond them.' As Goodwin has stressed, abroad simply represents better value. Another reason we might just need to get used to vanishingly few Scots playing for our favourite teams is the recent phenomenon of highly rated players being sold to big English sides by clubs like Dundee United before they've barely had the chance to kick a ball for the first team, most recently Brandon Forbes.
