‘Pretend hard man antics won't work’: Motherwell's Kevin van Veen takes aim at Aberdeen centre-halves in Stephen Glass' last stand

Talk about kicking a football club when they are down. Kevin van Veen has claimed Aberdeen sabotaged their own chances of success in Stephen Glass’ last game in charge by trying to kick the striker out of the game.

Van Veen relishes playing the role of prize irritant against the Pittodrie side. He has scored four times in Motherwell’s three victories over Aberdeen so far this season. The latest win, Saturday’s 2-1 Scottish Cup fifth round comeback triumph, proved the tipping point for watching Pittodrie chairman Dave Cormack, who has since informed Glass and assistants Henry Apaloo and Allan Russell that their 11-month tenure is over.

Van Veen might not shed a tear. He believes Aberdeen defenders were instructed to hurt him to provoke a reaction. While they got one, it wasn’t one they had intended to draw from the 30-year-old, who hit a fine equaliser with the aid of a deflection ten minutes before half-time.

Van Veen accused Scott Brown of trying to get him sent off at Pittodrie in November. The Dutchman scored a match-winning double that afternoon. On Saturday he proved equally unplayable. Knowing all about his threat, it would have been negligent had Aberdeen failed to pay him some special attention.

However, Van Veen is adamant this went too far. He claims Aberdeen defenders, specifically centre-halves Declan Gallagher and David Bates, started punching him in the ribs from shortly after kick-off.

The striker made a beeline for Gallagher after scoring. It was memorable theatre. He picked up an inevitable yellow – his 12th of the campaign – for his troubles but managed to avoid a red.

“That’s what you deserve when you play that way: I can play dirty too,” he said later. “I don’t know if you remember the clip with Ruud