Willie Miller savours Aberdeen 50 not out as Dons icon states why it was never Celtic or Rangers for him

Wilie Miller stepped out of the shadows of Parkhead and away from the hardships of Glasgow’s east end to take the first steps on his remarkable journey to becoming an Aberdeen and Scottish footballing legend.

It is 50 years this week since the Dons’ greatest ever player pulled on a red jersey for the first time. The legendary defender took to the field as a substitute as a 17-year-old in a 2-1 win over Morton at Cappielow. It is fair to say it sparked a two-way love affair which saw him captain Aberdeen to the European Cup Winners Cup, the Super Cup, three Premier Division titles, four Scottish Cups and three League Cups.

That was before he went on to become manager and then director of football at Pittodrie. Miller said: “You could probably see the ground (Celtic Park) from where I stayed now, but you could not see it then, because it was a lower stadium. It was about a quarter of a mile away. Probably in the shadow of it, just off London Road.

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“Although I was very fortunate to be brought up in a good family, to get out of the east end of Glasgow in the late 1960s and 70s was something to look forward to. No disrespect at all to my upbringing, but hey, there’s better things in life.”

The young Glaswegian was more interested in playing football than following and it was enthusiasm that saw the Dons come calling. Miller explained: “I played three times a week in Glasgow – school, amateur, boys’ club. On a Saturday sometimes in the morning and afternoon, and then for the boys’ club on a Sunday. I genuinely was not a supporter of either Rangers or Celtic, it was more about playing the game.

"I was aware (of Aberdeen)