DONS ARE KEANE TO CASH IN ON THEIR STAR MAN

Jul 1 2007 Rob Maclean

NICE guy, that Russell Anderson. In fact, even nicer than we've been led to believe.

Forget reports that the departing Aberdeen captain donated £100,000 to the club's youth development fund as part of his million-pound move to Sunderland.

He was actually entitled to 25 per cent of any transfer fee - so left his home town team with a more-than-generous quarter of a million quid.

Not that Russell will be struggling to make ends meet after swapping the northeast of Scotland for its counterpart in England.

By my calculations, he'll be earning about six times the £2,500 a week he was paid at Pittodrie when he reports for pre-season training at the Stadium of Light in a week's time and embarks on his lucrative three-year contract.

And his Scotland chances will be enhanced when he's playing regularly in the English Premiership.

Anderson's capabilities will be much more stretched on a weekly basis. He will compete against stronger opposition and become an even more effective defender than he is already.

It's a fact of life that a player with one of the Old Firm teams or playing at the top level south of the border is much more likely to be a starter rather than a benchwarmer for the national side.

For the last few years, Anderson's been the Dons' best player by a country mile - but ironically the club are pretty happy to see him go.

That's because he had only one year left on his existing deal - and there was no way on earth the club could afford to give him the pay rise he was worth.

They also couldn't run the risk of him leaving next summer as a free agent. So when Sunderland came calling a fortnight ago, Aberdeen were not difficult to deal with.

Peter Grant and Jim Duffy at Norwich were also keen on 28-year-old Anderson - but the Coca-Cola Championship club couldn't match the money already on offer.

It's good business for Aberdeen who have had 11 great years out of the player before making their million.

And it's a great opportunity for Russell who will be playing in arguably the best league in the world.

The seeds for the signing were sown when Sunderland boss Roy Keane was winding down his playing days at Celtic. He was hugely impressed by the Aberdeen skipper.

Subsequent scouting reports have confirmed to Keane what he already knew.

He's bagged a bargain buy in terms of his Championship title-winning club's enhanced spending power.

Aberdeen have no such wealth and will obviously miss Russell's organisational ability, defensive calmness and his leadership qualities.

But I'm sure that Jimmy Calderwood's plans for the new season took into account the club captain's inevitable departure.

Calderwood (below) has replaced one experienced Scottish international defender with another - Jackie McNamara could prove to be a very significant signing.

The manager has also brought in Lee Mair, who too can play at the back.

Mair had spells with both Dundee clubs and at Stockport before ending up in his native Aberdeen.

The Dons certainly aren't short of defensive quantity. The big question is whether they have enough quality.

In addition to Mair and McNamara, Aberdeen can pick from Michael Hart, Zander Diamond, Andy Considine, Karim Touzani, Ricky Foster, Richie Byrne and Dan Smith.

Then there's Scott Severin who's well capable of slotting in at defence even if the team sometimes miss his bite in midfield when he drops back.

So how will Calderwood line up his defence in the coming campaign?

I'm not convinced Jimmy knows himself yet.

But don't expect to see McNamara playing at leftback. That would be a waste of what the 33-year-old former Dunfermline, Celtic and Wolves player can offer.

I think he'll be used in a more central role where he can have a big influence on the team, tapping into his considerable experience.

Jackie could play as a holding midfielder or sweeper in a back three and be a massive help to the youngsters around him, like Foster and Considine.

McNamara's adaptable and so are Hart and Severin.

Maybe Jimmy will just pick horses for courses and chop and change his defence to suit each particular challenge.

He's not shy about making tactical switches during matches and, while there's a lot to be said for having a settled defence, it might be that the best use of his resources could involved a regular reshuffle at the back.

Other areas of the team are more predictable. Jamie Smith, Barry Nicholson and Chris Clark will be the central core of the midfield with new arrival Jeffrey de Visscher on the right and, on the left, possibly another Dutchman Arafath Heuvel who's at Pittodrie on trial from tomorrow.

It's in defence that the big questions lie. The biggest being, how badly will Dons miss Russell Anderson?