Jim Goodwin has admitted he’d love the chance to work with Jamie McGrath again.
The Aberdeen boss – who was then in charge at St Mirren – sold the Republic of Ireland star to Wigan in the January window, where he has struggled for game time with the Latics.
Aberdeen were also in for the midfielder and Goodwin admitted he advised McGrath to head north.
But former Dons manager Stephen Glass questioned whether McGrath could handle the pressure after he stalled on a move.
Now Goodwin has replaced Glass in the Pittodrie hot seat and would be open to taking back to the Premiership, if the opportunity was there.
Goodwin, speaking to the Irish press over the weekend, said: “He knows we would love the chance to work together again. If he does get out and play regularly — whether here or somewhere else— he will get himself back into the Irish set-up.
“I don’t think Stephen should’ve said that. It was a poor comment.
“Jamie is not a player to shy away from pressure, believe me. He took a decision to go to Wigan I actually advised him not to at the time.
“The option to go to Aberdeen was a far better one for him because it was a bigger club, presumably with better players around him. He knew the league well.
“I know what League One in England is like. I spent seven or eight years playing down there. It doesn’t suit players of Jamie’s qualities all the time.”
Record Sport also broke the story Goodwin, along with Hearts, is keen on Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan, who is on loan at St Mirren.
And he admitted it was McGrath’s success at St Mirren that helped to get Ronan to Paisley. Goodwin said: “I sold the whole thing to Connor based on Jamie.”
The Aberdeen gaffer and his recruitment team are now working on a list of summer targets.
Goodwin has vowed to strengthen his squad so they don’t face another season in the bottom six.
He has opened talks with players in his sights with Ipswich Town keeper Vaclav Hladky and St Mirren defender Charles Dunne both live targets.
Goodwin previously worked with the pair at St Mirren, where keeper Jak Alnwick is now set to move to Cardiff City.
And a left-sided central-defender to replace long-serving Andrew Considine, who has been told he won’t be getting his contract renewed, is among the Dons’ priorities with Dunne high on their list.
Although there have been discussions between the two clubs there still remains a difference in their valuations with the Buddies wanting around £250,000. The Aberdeen boss has already stated that he wants a younger, fitter and more athletic squad.
Goodwin added: “I have got a certain profile of player that I look for.
“We want to play a high press. We want to be aggressive, to get close to people, we want to play a high intensity game of
football.
“To do that, you need fit athletes. We have some good young players who are under the age of 21 and a lot of players over 30 but not a great deal in between.”
Goodwin has already started clearing out his squad by releasing captain Scott Brown, Mikey Devlin and Jay-Emanuel Thomas.
And there have also been rumours claiming that Dylan McGeouch and Funso Ojo will move on too, when their contracts come to an end this summer.
