Stuart Armstrong on the changes he has made to extend his career at Aberdeen

Aberdeen midfielder Stuart Armstrong believes he has adapted his game to ensure he can still compete at the highest level.

Armstrong, who will celebrate his 34th birthday on March 30, knows he is not the same player physically as he enters the veteran stage of his career.

But, having made 31 appearances for the Dons this season, the Scotland international is confident he has put an injury-disrupted spell behind him.

He said: “It’s been interesting for sure but I’m very happy to be back playing football and playing consistently.

“For the last year and a bit before that, I had been in, out and had a lot of injuries.

“So to have that feeling of playing regularly again has been really positive for me.

“Obviously I’m not the same player I was ten years ago as I’m getting older.

“I’m finding different ways to compete against younger guys now and it’s been an interesting journey.

“I would say I’m a different person today than I was 10 years ago and I try to enjoy it a bit more than I did.

“I’ve had to change bits here and there as it’s so dynamic with game being very fast paced.”

Armstrong has made the most of his fresh start at Aberdeen

Armstrong, who joined the Dons as a free agent following a six-month spell with Sheffield Wednesday, is delighted to be back playing regular football again.

He said: “When I went to Sheffield Wednesday I would feel really good then I would get injured, recover and get injured again.

“You begin to doubt your body’s capacity to take on the load of football and that can be disheartening at times.

“So the best thing for me has been seeing I’m able to play in an intense league and contribute to the team.”

‘I felt like I’d been hit by a train’

Armstrong points to a greater understanding of his body, recovering from matches and an improved diet as being crucial to his longevity,

But he joked handling the recent schedule for the Dons has been more challenging for him than his younger team-mates at Pittodrie.

The former Celtic and Dundee United midfielder said: “You need to understand your body because if everybody stayed the same for their whole career they would never retire.

“Physically you do change and that’s something I’ve learned in the last two years and recovery is super important nowadays.

“I was joking with Mitchel Frame about how to recover between recent games against Celtic and Dunfermline and he didn’t say very much.

“He was smiling telling me he was absolutely fine while I felt I had been hit by a train.

“It sounded like he was going home to sit on the couch, but I remember the days when you could lash balls all day, go home and it would be fine again tomorrow.

“When I was in my early twenties I remember going round to my friend’s house and buying a lot of rubbish and his friends said ‘bloody hell he eats badly doesn’t he?’

“To be fair I did change things around then and it’s something I played around with a lot at Celtic and down in England.

“That’s always been at the forefront of my mind since then so I don’t have to make any drastic changes.

“You just have to take a bit more care, recover by eating well, and sleeping well.”

Armstrong to face former boss at Ibrox

Much has changed at Pittodrie since Armstrong joined club earlier in the campaign with the midfielder now playing under his third manager of the season following Stephen Robinson’s appointment as head coach.

Armstrong, who was handed a starting role in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Falkirk, will face another former manager this weekend when the Dons travel to Ibrox to face Danny Rohl’s Rangers.

The Scot has worked with the German at two clubs in England.

He said: “He was a big part in me going to Sheffield Wednesday.

“I had a good relationship with Danny and we were together at Southampton together as well in my first season.

“He was the assistant there and obviously when we played Rangers I had a chat with him after the game.”

[Source: Press and Journal]