Jim Goodwin has warned his Aberdeen players there’s still a job to do to ensure they’re safe from being dragged into the Premiership play-off spot.
And the Dons boss pointed to small-in-stature Vicente Besuijen as the kind of big character they’ll need to take the heat off them with a win against Hibs this weekend.
The Pittodrie side’s only-goal win against Dundee last weekend did ease the pressure slightly.
But Goodwin insisted his men can’t assume they’re out of danger after one of their poorest seasons for years.
Besuijen, 21, was an unknown quantity when he was signed in January by previous Reds’ gaffer Stephen Glass for £420,000 from Dutch side ADO Den Haag on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
But Goodwin reckons the Colombia-born winger, who was adopted as a baby by a Dutch couple and who experienced youth football on the books of top European sides Ajax and Roma, has shown the kind of personality all his players need.
He said: “You need strong characters in the building to be able to handle the level of expectation at a big club like this.
"The wee man certainly has something about him.
“He really has real self-belief and great confidence. It doesn’t matter how many times he gives the ball away he keeps looking for it to get into the game. He never shirks a tackle.
“You could see that against Dundee.
"Guys were kicking him up and down the park in the second half but he continued to get up and get on it.
“That was very pleasing. The recruitment team deserves a lot of credit for that one because that was done prior to me coming in.”
The indications are Goodwin sees Besuijen as a key member of his squad for next season as he bids to show the Dons fans that, under him, they will be a force once more following the disappointment of Glass’ short tenure in charge.
Goodwin said: “Vicente is a really good young talent who still has room for development and he will be a good asset for the club going forward.
“Character is important when you’re looking to sign a player.
“Playing for a big club like Aberdeen is not for everybody.
“You can have that self-belief and confidence in your own ability when things are going well at a club like this.
“It is very easy because the place is bouncing and everyone is happy.
“But when you are up against it and the chips down and you still have to still stand up and be counted, that’s when you find out a lot about players.
“That’s a big part of the recruitment. Players with good technical ability that can go and add that bit of quality we need.
“But they need to have a bit of balls, that’s what we’re talking about. That’s what you need to play for a big team.”
Goodwin has demanded a strong finish to the campaign from his squad, starting at Easter Road on Saturday and followed by fixtures against St Johnstone and St Mirren.
And he added: “You are not safe until you are mathematically safe so we can’t sit here and rest on our laurels.
“We can’t think that it’s job done – it’s not.
“We want to try to finish the best of the rest which would be seventh if possible.”
