Former Aberdeen defender Tom McIntyre backs Dons to bounce back

Defender, whose short-term deal at Pittodrie was cut short by injury, is confident the Dons will recover from their disappointing season.

Jun 9, 2026 - 12:45
Former Aberdeen defender Tom McIntyre backs Dons to bounce back
Former Aberdeen defender Tom McIntyre. Image; Shutterstock

Former Aberdeen defender Tom McIntyre has backed the club to bounce back from their difficult season.

The Dons started last season as Scottish Cup winners but were unable to build on their cup success as they struggled in the bottom half of the Scottish Premiership for most of the campaign.

Cup winning manager Jimmy Thelin was sacked before interim boss Peter Leven struggled to find any improvement.

It was left to Thelin’s successor Stephen Robinson to guide the club to safety in the final weeks of the season, but McIntyre has backed the Dons to recover from a challenging campaign.

He said: “It has been a tough season at Aberdeen this year. It hasn’t gone with the way they hoped.

“Being such a big club in Scotland, there is a responsibility that comes with that. It has been disappointing this season.

“With Aberdeen winning the Scottish Cup the season before for the first time in a long, long time. It was a season that should have been built on.

“You look at Hearts, they were relegated and had to come back up. Clubs go through ups and downs. Aberdeen is a big enough to be back.”

McIntyre ready to start afresh after injury cut short Dons stay

McIntyre is a free agent after his short-term deal with the Dons expired.

The 27-year-old endured a difficult time at Pittodrie after suffering a hamstring injury which ended his season.

McIntyre said: “I signed a short-term deal in January. I went in there and was doing alright.

“I played four or five games in about 10 days or so. From going to not playing that many games to playing a lot of games in a short space of time, I picked up a hamstring injury.

He returned to England following the injury, undergoing treatment at former club Reading, and the central defender has not ruled out a return to the Royals.

Aberdeen's Tom McIntyre n action against Dundee at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen’s Tom McIntyre n action against Dundee at Pittodrie. Image: Shutterstock

He told Radio Berkshire: “I came back down to Reading to do my rehab. I trust them, I am back running.

“It was frustrating but that is life. I’ve had setbacks before and I will get over it.

“I would love to go back to Reading one day. I love the club.

“It would be an honour to go back. I know how football works. Maybe it will come up at some stage.”

[Source: Press and Journal]