Funso Ojo has vowed to get Aberdeen’s season back on track to make up for being their Europa League fall guy.
The Belgian was sent off after two yellow cards 20 minutes into their Pittodrie return with Rijeka and that effectively killed off their chances of making the play-off round for the first time under Derek McInnes.
Ojo admitted he was gutted and it took him days to get over the disappointment before last weekend’s Betfred Cup extra-time win at Dundee.
The Aberdeen midfielder, who is looking for three points from today’s trip to Kilmarnock, said: “I was a bit embarrassed, ashamed and angry.
“It is not something you can turn back when you play in Europe. If it happens in the league then we have games after it to fix it but this time we were out of Europe. I felt like I was the main downfall in us being out. It really hurt.
“The first booking was after four minutes and I was very surprised when the ref then showed me a second yellow.
“They were both fouls and there was no VAR so you have to accept the referee’s decision.
“I had to stay and watch the game from the dressing room and that was hard seeing 10 of my team-mates having to work really hard and I couldn’t do anything to help them.”
The pain of his European dismissal was compounded by the fact it was the first ordering off in his top-flight career.
Ojo added: “Until the day before the Dundee game I was still down about it. You can’t take it into the next match because if you do you will play badly and probably get even more bookings because you are afraid.
“I took too long to get over it but it was my first red card and that was something that was new to me.”
The former PSV Eindhoven kid is still adapting to the all-action style of Scottish football.
He said: “For me, it is has not been too dissimilar to League One in England.
“Before I signed a lot of people said teams will sit deep against us because we are a bigger team.
“At times like that you need to play to left and right to lure them out and to find space.
“We want to get the three points when we get back on the bus at Rugby Park.”
