The old firm of Celtic and Rangers has dominated Scottish football. However, arguably the third biggest club in the country is Aberdeen, who have won the SPL on four occasions and 17 trophies in total during their history.
Many players have served the Dons well throughout their history, making hundreds of appearances for the club. However, who has featured in the most games for Aberdeen?
Willie Miller (796 appearances in all competitions from 1972-1990)
The centre-back came through the club’s youth ranks in 1971 and stayed until 1990. During his nearly two decades with the Dons, he made an incredible 796 appearances in all competitions.
Miller played a crucial role in Aberdeen’s successful period in the 1980s. He helped the team win, among other trophies, the Scottish top-flight title on three occasions and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983.
Fifty years ago today, Aberdeen’s record European appearance holder, and only captain to lift two European trophies with a Scottish club, Willie Miller plays his first European match. pic.twitter.com/A0aLd0ttaO
— Here We Go! – The Aberdeen FC Podcast (@AFCHereWeGo) September 19, 2023
On an individual level, Miller won the SFWA Football of the Year award in 1984, as well as the Scottish Football Personality of the Year award in the same year.
Alex McLeish (689 appearances in all competitions from 1978-1994)
The former Scotland boss partnered Miller in the heart of the Dons defence for a long time, having first come into the Dons first-team from the club’s youth ranks in 1978.
McLeish was another crucial player in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team during the club’s glorious period.
He won the Scottish title three times, the Scottish Cup on five occasions and the League Cup twice from 1980 until 1990, as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983.
McLeish also represented Scotland with pride from 1980 until 1993, winning an impressive 77 caps for his country.
In 1990, his performances were recognised, as he was named the SFWA Footballer of the Year award.
Bobby Clark (591 appearances in all competitions from 1965-1980)
The goalkeeper joined Aberdeen in 1965 after starting his playing career at Queens Park. He would go on to represent the Dons for 15 years, making 591 competitive appearances.
Clark achieved a notable record in the 1970/71 campaign, as he broke the British record for not conceding a goal, keeping the opposition out for 1,155 minutes. It took until 2009 for the record to be broken, as Edwin van der Sar bettered it while playing for Manchester United.
Clark won the Scottish top-flight title in season 1979/80, having previously won the Scottish Cup in 1970 and the League Cup in 1977.
The stopper also claimed the Aberdeen Player of the Year in season 1966/67.
Andrew Considine (571 appearances in all competitions from 2004-2022 )
SPFL Trust, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The centre-back is a modern club stalwart, having served the Dons from 2004 until 2022, making 571 appearances in all competitions for the club.
Despite his sterling service for Aberdeen for so many years, Considine didn’t win his first international cap for Scotland until 2020, when he was 33 years old. He would go on to win just three international caps.
Unlike many players on this list, Considine’s time with the Dons was not trophy-filled. In fact, the only honour he won with the club came in season 2013/14, when he helped the club to the Scottish League Cup.
Stewart McKimmie (562 appearances in all competitions from 1983-1997)
The defender began his playing career at Dundee before making a move to the Dons in 1983. It turned out to be an inspired one, as McKimmie would pick up two Scottish title winners’ medals and also three FA Cup and League Cup winners’ medals, too.
He also enjoyed a decent international career, playing 40 times for Scotland from 1989 until 1996. During that time, the defender played at the World Cup in 1990 and the European Championships in 1992 and 1996.
Jim Leighton (533 appearances in all competitions from 1978-1988 and 1997-2000)
The iconic Scottish goalkeeper enjoyed two spells with the Dons from 1978 until 1988 and then from 1997 until 2000.
He will definitely be best remembered for that first spell, in which he played a pivotal role in the most successful period in the club’s history alongside the likes of Miller and McLeish.
In addition to enjoying a trophy-laden first spell with the club, Leighton also won 91 caps for Scotland between 1982 and 1998. His services to Scottish football were recognised in 2008 when he was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
Russell Anderson (407 appearances in all competitions from 1996-2006 and 2012-2015)
Like Leighton, the defender had two spells with the club from 1996 until 2006 and then from 2012 until 2016.
Having come through the club’s youth system, Anderson made 274 SPL appearances for Aberdeen in his first spell before making a £1m move to Sunderland in 2007.
Anderson also had spells with Plymouth Argyle, Burnley and Derby County before ending his playing career back with the Dons.
Drew Jarvie (386 appearances in all competitions from 1972-1982)
The forward established himself in the professional game with Airdrie before making the move to Aberdeen in 1972.
The only players to have scored in both of their first two Aberdeen appearances in the last 50 odd years are:
Drew Jarvie
Hans Gillhaus
Duncan Shearer
Adam Rooney
Fletcher Boyd pic.twitter.com/h7GaOKezrP— Here We Go! – The Aberdeen FC Podcast (@AFCHereWeGo) May 18, 2024
He enjoyed a successful decade with the club, scoring 131 goals in all competitions and helping the Dons to win the Scottish title in 1980 and the League Cup in 1977.
Jarvie returned to Airdrie in 1982 for two more seasons and ended his career with a three-year stint at St. Mirren.
Brian Irvine (385 appearances in all competitions from 1985-1997)
The centre-back started out at Falkirk, but after two years, he moved to Aberdeen, where he stayed for 12 years, making an impressive 385 appearances for the club.
Irvine won both the Scottish FA and League Cup during his time with the club. In the league, incredibly, he picked up five runners-up medals between 1989 and 1994.
After leaving Aberdeen, Irvine finished his career with spells at Dundee and Ross County.
Eoin Jess (380 appearances in all competitions from 1989-1996 and 1997-2001)
The attacking midfielder became a club favourite during his two spells with the Dons. He played youth football with Rangers before joining Aberdeen, and it was with the Dons that he made a breakthrough into first-team football.
From 1989 until 1996, Jess made 253 appearances for the club, scoring 63 goals. Jess moved to then-Premier League Coventry City in February 1996 for a club-record fee of £2m.
He spent a season and a half with the Sky Blues before returning to Aberdeen in the summer of 1997 for a fee of around £700,000.
Jess stayed with the club for four seasons before once again moving to England, this time with Bradford City, initially on loan before a permanent move. The attacking midfielder ended his playing career with spells at Nottingham Forest and Northampton Town.
He was inducted into Aberdeen’s Hall of Fame in November 2018, having also previously been named in the club’s greatest 11 by fans in 2015.
