Aberdeen midfielder Findlay Marshall given pre-season first team challenge by boss Stephen Robinson

Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson has challenged Findlay Marshall to break into his first team set-up for next season.

Rising midfielder Marshall recently signed a long-term contract extension with the Dons until summer 2028.

The 20-year-old is currently on loan at Arbroath and has excelled, scoring 15 goals for the Championship club.

Marshall has been key to Arbroath finishing third in the league to qualify for the promotion play-offs.

That red hot form secured Marshall a nomination for the SPFL young player of the year award alongside Mikey Moore (Rangers), Luke Graham (Dundee) and Barney Stewart (Falkirk).

Rangers’ on-loan Tottenham Hotspur winger Moore scooped the award at the weekend.

Marshall’s new Dons deal and young player of the year nomination constitute a remarkable turnaround for the midfielder.

Robinson’s challenge to Marshall

Youth academy graduate Marshall was told by former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin he could find another club last summer as he was deemed surplus to requirements.

Marshall refused to give up on his Aberdeen dream and opted to go on loan at Arbroath in a bid to reignite his Pittodrie career.

Robinson admires Marshall’s drive and self-belief to keep fighting for his Aberdeen future

Now he has urged him to take the next step by breaking into the first team.

And he will be given the chance to stake a claim during pre-season.

Robinson said: “First and foremost, he’s somebody that’s not going to be dictated to by anything bar his own drive, so that’s a fantastic trait to have.

“I like that.

“I can only speak as I find, I can’t speak for anybody else’s opinion, but Marshall has impressed me since I came in.

“It’s now a step up to get into Aberdeen’s first team, so there’s no guarantees.

“But certainly he will get those opportunities in pre-season and he’ll certainly be here for the first part and hopefully longer.”

Marshall joined the Dons youth academy at under-12 level and was part of the SFA Performance School at Hazlehead.

Pushing to get Marshall on new deal

He signed a first  professional contract in 2022 and the following year was awarded with an extension until summer 2026.

Marshall previously had loan spells at Cove Rangers and Edinburgh City.

With his Aberdeen contract set to expire this summer sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, who arrived at Pittodrie in November, was instrumental in tying the midfielder down to a new deal.

Robinson said: “When I came in, the first thing I said to the scouting department was if there’s a boy in the Championship that scored 14 goals at the time, Aberdeen should be looking at him.

“We should be all over him.

“And the good thing was Findlay was our player.

“So very important that myself and Lutz pushed for him to get the contract signed.

“It just shows there is a lot of talented young players at this football club.

“Some are closer to the first team than others and we have to keep pushing them in that direction.

“That is the model of the football club and if they’re good enough, I’ll play them.

“If they’re not, I won’t.

“It’s quite basic.”

Marshall was recently named Aberdeen’s development player of the year at the club’s annual awards ceremony.

Marshall trains regularly with Dons

Although on loan at Arbroath midfielder Marshall trains regularly with Robinson’s first team at Cormack Park.

The Dons boss has been able to closely monitor the 20-year-old.

Robinson said: “Findlay trains with us three days a week, so it’s not out of sight out of mind.

“That is a huge advantage of being at Arbroath because they’re the only part-time club at that level.

“He’s been involved in a lot of the stuff we’ve done in practice games.”

[Source: Press and Journal]