Arbroath player/ manager Paul Sheerin knows both Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Aberdeen well having played for both sides and he also knows the managers who will look for Scottish League Cup glory this weekend well as he was once a team-mate of them both.
Sheerin said: “John Hughes and Derek McInnes both have a great desire to win things and it will be a terrific challenge between them on Sunday at Celtic Park.”
“I was with Yogi at Ayr United and I played in a League Cup Final alongside him against Rangers when we were a First Division side. He was a big character as you would imagine but he was always good with young players around the club.
“He was good to them in terms of passing on advice and tips and he was great to have about the club.”
Sheerin headed for Somerset Park after a spell in the Highlands and the now 39 year old said: “Ironically I played with John after my own spell at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. I loved my time up there as it was my first real taste of first team football. I was with Alloa briefly and then Southampton for over four years without making any first team appearances with them.”
“I went back to Alloa and played three games as a trialist and then went to Sweden and played for a short time there. However Inverness was my first home of full time football and I remain grateful to them for my time there. They gave me an opportunity in the game and it was a terrific bunch of boys at the club at that time.”
“Alloa’s manager at the time Tom Hendrie used to be a teacher of mine as well and he had tried to get me to stay at Alloa but he knew that I wanted to be full time.”
Sheerin added: “The spirit in the Inverness dressing room was tremendous and we were successful on the back of it as we won promotion to the First Division. We missed out on the Second Division title to Livingston but we did get ourselves promoted to that level for the first time.”
They were also pretty decent in cup ties with Sheerin saying: “Of course we also had the Celtic Scottish Cup game which was a big game and a big occasion in all our careers. However it was a one-off and whilst it was a great result we did not win or achieve anything by our success.”
“However it gets brought up every year and I am sure the ‘SuperCaleyGoBallistic’ headline had something to do with that. It is nice to see footage of me scoring in that game from the penalty spot but Sunday’s game is bigger as there is a Cup available for the first time.”
Sheerin came close to silverware at Inverness as he explained: “I also played in a Challenge Cup Final for Inverness back in 1999. It was a bit of a classic against my first club Alloa. It ended up 4-4 but we lost on penalties. It was a great game and I scored a hat-trick in the 120 minutes and we will leave the discussion about that game at that.”
The ties that bind Sheerin to both Scottish League Cup finalists started through Steve Paterson who managed both teams.
Sheerin said: “The manager who signed me for Caley, Steve Paterson, was also the manager that took me from Ayr United to Aberdeen. It was a bargain basement deal just after he took the job as that was all the market they were in at the time.”
“In saying that the move worked out well for both parties in that season. Aberdeen were in the mire relegation wise when I first went in but we survived.”
“In my first run of games there I scored 8 goals in 12 games and the form I was in had the local press touting me for a Scotland call up which I just thought was ridiculous. Everything I touched during that first half season turned to gold but unfortunately my second season was not so good.”
The Dons left a lasting impression on Sheerin who explained: “I loved it at Aberdeen and they have been the biggest club I was at during my career. Southampton are big but Aberdeen have a much greater history than they do, so they are the biggest.”
“They have an amazing fan base and bringing over 40,000 to Sunday’s Final shows just what a great club they are.”
Paterson left in the summer after the second season and so did Sheerin who said: “It was still disappointing to be released by Jimmy Calderwood before the next season had started as I thought I could still have done a job.”
“In saying that if I was not released then I may not have had 6 great years at St. Johnstone.”
The move to McDiarmid Park saw Sheerin get to know the manager who is looking to get the better of Hughes this weekend.
Sheerin said: “The move to St Johnstone was organised by John Connolly and then Owen Coyle took over from him. Owen brought Derek McInnes in and it was no surprise when he took over from Owen when he went to Burnley.”
“Derek was a terrific team-mate and was a definite for management from an early age.”
McInnes’ desire was obvious to his playing colleagues with Sheerin saying: “Derek wants to be a winner and was probably born that way as well. It was honed at Rangers and he was also the captain that helped lifted West Bromwich Albion to promotion to the Promotion.”
“He took St Johnstone up as Champions so he has seen success as a manager before.”
Sheerin reckons that Aberdeen’s gain has been Bristol City’s loss as he explained: “I thought of all the managers I have known and worked with that Derek and his assistant Tony Docherty would do well in England. The two of them work very well together and it is no real surprise to me how well they have done so quickly at Pittodrie.”
“I am not sure what happened at Bristol but you can see by what he has done at Aberdeen he is a good boss. “
Arbroath have played against both teams this season with Sheerin saying: “We played a young Aberdeen side in pre-season and gave them a really tough game whereas we played a full Inverness side and they gave us a right doing.”
Based on what he knows about the clubs and the managers Sheerin was asked to pick a winner and he said: “This Sunday I cannot see past Aberdeen but it is a one-off and there is not a great deal between the sides. But if I am forced to pick a winner I will go for Aberdeen and Derek.”
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