Jimmy Thelin vows Aberdeen can get Jeppe Okkels firing as he makes promise to £3m man

Jimmy Thelin has vowed to help Jeppe Okkels get back to his best at Aberdeen.

The Swedish boss got the talented winger grabbing the limelight in their time together at Elfsborg. Thelin ended up selling the Dane for £3million to Utrecht but since then he has struggled to hit the heights in the Netherlands and then Preston.

The Dons have signed the 25-year-old on-loan, with an option to buy in the summer, and Thelin is looking to get his career back on track at Pittodrie. Thelin explained: “He got an injury in Holland. I know what he is capable of and I want to help him get back to that level. I think for me it's more to use his strengths here and I think that's quite easy to adapt to what we want to do here.

“It is not exactly the same as Elfsborg but there are some similarities. I know what he can do so I know the player also and I can use him in the best way for the team.”

Okkels started both league games against Hearts and Rangers but was left on the bench for the Scottish Cup win over Elgin City at the weekend. Thelin acknowledged they have to build him up gently due to his lack of playing time this season. The Aberdeen boss explained: “He is adapting quickly to the team out on the training pitch but if you haven't played so much you always have to be a little bit smart in how you load the players.”

The good thing for Okkels is that he knows Thelin has his back and believes in him. The Dons boss admitted: “I think even if you have a player for six months, the trust has to be there and clear. Even if you don't play, you have to be clear to the player why they don't play and what they have to do to play. “I think that's most important.

“Sometimes you have to have the trust for everyone because you need the players to