Christian Ramirez insists Aberdeen player-coach Scott Brown will be an ageless iron rod for the Dons this season.
The 30-year-old summer signing from Houston Dynamo believes former Celtic skipper Brown has been a pre-season driving force.
And the Pittodrie squad are having to play catch-up.
It will be a baptism of fire for the striker when he makes his debut in the Europa Conference League qualifier with BK Hacken at home on Thursday.
But Brown’s influence on and off the park is already making an impact.
He said: “I didn’t know what to expect from Scott because he looks so intense in the videos I’ve seen of him playing.
“But off the field he is a likeable character who jokes around and is lively in the dressing room.
“And on the field he is class – his resume speaks for itself.
“I have been picking his brain about the league and who we are playing because he has seen it all and has so much to give.
“I wish you could see our warm-ups, he just takes off and is 20 yards in front of everyone.
“He sets the standard from the start of training and it is something you expect from a guy like him.
“He has been a leader wherever he has gone. At Celtic he was that iron rod in midfield that connects everything.
“We are really happy to have him and I know he will do great things for us.
“Maybe after you’ve been at a place for so long you sort of hit the refresh button. He looks lively and I couldn’t tell you how old he is.
“I won’t look that up either, he can keep that to himself. He looks great and has been fantastic since I have been here.”
A goal-laden spell with Minnesota United had the home fans nicknaming Ramirez ‘Superman’ and he’s already planning to create a similar type of affection with the Dons support who were starved of a regular marksman last season.
He said: “The supporters started to put the Superman stuff out there and always tweeted it to me.
“They called my best friend Miguel Ibarra ‘Batman’ and we were a 1-2 punch in the league – it was a good laugh.
“After one game we lifted our jerseys and we each had Superman and Batman shirts underneath.
“It has carried on throughout my career and I am proud of it because Minnesota was such a special place for my family and me. It was home.
“I always try to get close to supporters – they spend hard-earned money and expect the best so it drives you forward.”
Ramirez is well aware of the need to hit the ground running when BK Hacken come calling.
He said: “I’ve heard all about Aberdeen’s European heritage. It is special to be able to put the jersey on .
“It’s about immersing yourself in the history and culture and doing your part to add to that. Hopefully I can do that on my terms.
“BK Hacken have scored a lot of goals on the counter and that is something we have worked on being prepared for.
“It’s about taking care of the ball because we know at some point we will be able to break them down. We need to be clinical to take those chances and impose ourselves on the game.”
