Dan Happe has set his sights on European qualification in his first season at Aberdeen, following an impressive start that included a goal on his home debut. The 27-year-old defender, one of 11 summer signings by manager Stephen Robinson, believes the Dons can challenge at the top end of Scottish football after a disappointing ninth-place finish last season.
Happe's Ambition for Europe
Happe, who joined from Leyton Orient, stated: 'Last season wasn't really great for Aberdeen, where they finished in the table. I want Aberdeen to climb the table. I have high aspirations for myself and if we can get into the top six and get into Europe, that is definitely an aim. You have to dream big to achieve big.' He added, 'We will see. We just have to take it game-by-game. We don't want to get too ahead of ourselves. It is a journey.'
Strong Start at Pittodrie
The Englishman has already made an impact, keeping a clean sheet on his debut at Brora Rangers and scoring three minutes into his Pittodrie debut against Queen's Park, heading in a Connor Ronan corner. 'It wasn't a bad start,' he said. 'I was happy to score a goal. Hopefully, it will be the first of many. It was a good start and hopefully we can move forward from here.'
Happe, who drew a blank last season, aims to rediscover his scoring touch. 'I didn't actually score last season. I scored a few the season before but I dried up a bit last season. Hopefully, I can bounce back this season by scoring a few. I feel like I am a presence from set-plays. That was probably half the reason why I was brought in here: to defend and score set pieces. It is a big part of my game and I want to bring it to Aberdeen. The set plays are a massive part of the game now. A lot of goals are scored and conceded from set plays. If you are strong in that department then you can go far.'
Dominant Performance and Lessons Learned
Aberdeen doubled their lead eight minutes after Happe's goal, with Lewis Smith scoring his first for the club following a build-up involving Happe, Tony Yogane, Ronan, and Kevin Nisbet. 'I loved every minute of it,' Happe said. 'The fans were great and the pitch was lovely, other than the seagulls. It was class and I can't wait to play here all season. If we keep playing like that and the crowds keep coming then we can create something special.'
Despite dominance, Aberdeen allowed Queen's Park to halve the deficit through Jack Hamilton from a corner. New goalkeeper Marius Muller made a triple save to preserve the lead, and a stoppage-time save denied Lewis Stewart. Happe acknowledged the need for improvement: 'I wouldn't say frustrated. Just that we could have nullified what we did in the second half. We got a little bit complacent. We will learn from our mistakes. This is only our second competitive game. We will take that into Wednesday and I am sure we will not do it again. There is still a lot to work on but there were also a lot of positives to take.'
Robinson's Persistence Paid Off
Robinson admitted he 'basically stalked' Happe to secure his signature. The defender explained: 'We had a few conversations back and forth. I was weighing up the pros and cons. It is a long way from London. This is my first ever move. He convinced me. Aberdeen is an attractive club. I could see that was the get-go and I am happy to be here now.'
Happe chose Aberdeen over other options, calling it a 'no-brainer' due to the club's size and the opportunity for a new challenge. 'I didn't want to do something that I have already done. It was a massive opportunity. It is a whole new experience for me and I am looking forward to it.'
