Aberdeen defender Dylan Lobban signs new deal until 2029 and joins Dunfermline Athletic on loan

Aberdeen right-back Dylan Lobban has signed a contraction extension until summer 2029 and joined Dunfermline Athletic on loan.

The 20-year-old has moved to the Championship Pars, last season’s beaten Scottish Cup finalists, for the season.

Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson says he has earmarked the 20-year-old as a “potential mainstay” of his first team in future seasons.

Robinson hopes a campaign long loan and regular starts at Dunfermline can accelerate Lobban’s progression.

During the summer transfer window Robinson signed experienced right-back Chris Cadden from Hibs on a two-year deal.

Lobban ‘part of plan for the future’

Cadden has started the opening two Premiership games since arriving at Pittodrie.

Robinson has urged Lobban to return from Dunfermline ready to stake a claim to “become the club’s starting right-back for years to come.”

Robinson said: “We are delighted that Dylan has extended his contract because he is someone we have earmarked as a potential future mainstay of the Aberdeen first team.

“He has already made 10 league starts for us and we’ve seen enough to know the potential he has.

“The next stage for Dylan is to play consistently and experience a full season of senior football at a really strong level.

“That is why it was important for us to extend his contract before this loan.

“Dylan is very much part of our plans for the future, and we see this move as an investment in his development.”

Aberdeen youth academy graduate Lobban has had previous loan spells at Cove Rangers, Forfar and Formartine United.

Robinson hails Lobban’s mindset

Robinson hailed the full-back’s quality and attitude.

And the Dons boss has pinpointed the success of Findlay Marshall at Arbroath last season as proof of how beneficial a loan can be.

Marshall, 20, scored 15 goals for Arbroath and earned a new Dons  deal in the summer.

Robinson said: “Dylan is joining a good club, who were in the Scottish Cup final last season, with an excellent and experienced manager (Neil Lennon).

“He’ll be playing every week in a very competitive league.

“We need only look at Findlay Marshall and the impact his loan had in accelerating his development and preparing him to come back and establish himself at Aberdeen.

“Dylan has significant potential, allied to a fantastic mindset and attitude.

“He has all the attributes you want to see in a young player.

“And now he needs regular competitive minutes to continue developing them.

“The experience he’ll gain at Dunfermline will be invaluable.

“And our hope is that when Dylan returns to Aberdeen next summer, he’ll be ready to really stake his claim to become the club’s starting right-back for years to come.”

Lobban made his Aberdeen first-team debut in a 1-0 victory away at Kilmarnock last October.

Lobban’s delight at new contract

He has since gone on to make a further 20 appearances, including four in European competition.

Lobban racked up a run of first team starts but that momentum was broken by a red card in a 3-1 loss at Celtic on December 21 last year.

Lobban said: “Being contracted until 2029 gives me a lot of security.

“I can get my head down, work hard and fully focus on my football without worrying about anything else.

“It has been a bit of a mad 12 months.

“This time last year I was captaining the development team.

“I then broke into the first team and got a good run of games.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but that is football.

“You have to always keep learning and improving.

“You must keep fighting and working hard every single day.

“For my continued development I need to be playing games regularly.

“Hopefully I can go down to Dunfermline and do well and develop as much as I can.”

‘My heart is 100% at Aberdeen’

Aberdonian Lobban is a lifelong Dons supporter.

He has been with Aberdeen since eight-years old.

Lobban said: “My heart is 100% at Aberdeen.

“It always has been. It always will be.

“My dream is to become an established first team player.

“I have had a taste of it.

“I have had some good and bad experiences, which I can learn from and I know I need to go away and develop so I can come back stronger.”

[Source: Press and Journal]