McGrath about to kick-start a big season for him and the Dons
The start of any new football season invariably brings with it renewed hope and expectation for both players and their clubs.
Tomorrow evening (Monday) Jamie McGrath kicks-off a new campaign with Aberdeen when his side take on St Johnstone in Perth.
Soon the 27-year-old Athboy man will mark his first anniversary as an Aberdeen player after signing for the Dons in August of last year after he had a spell with Waterford man Jim Goodwin at Dundee United.
This is a big season for McGrath who will be looking to help Aberdeen achieve success after what was a very turbulent 2023/'24 season when several managers were in charge of team including for a time the one and only Neil Warnock.
The Dons flirted with relegation but drew away from the danger zone towards the end of the season.
The latest incumbent in the hotseat at Pittodrie is Jimmy Thelin, a 46-year-old Swede who said when he was appointed last April that he wanted to "create something great" with the Dons.
Those words might be interpreted as the over-optimistic aspirations of a new manager taking charge of a limited team (something that is not unusual among newly-appointed managers).
Or maybe it is the well-grounded hopes of a manager who knows what he is talking about and can deliver. Only time will tell.
McGrath got a bagful of goals from midfield last season including one in a 3-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox on his 27th birthday.
This season he will certainly be looking to make his mark not only to help the Dons but to impress new Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson.
McGrath would no doubt love to be part of the Irish team that takes on England in the Nations League in September.
The Athboy man is at a stage in his career when experience can bolster the skills that are already there.
The start of every season is the start of a journey into the unknown for any club or player.
Let's hope this coming Scottish Premiership campaign is one to remember for the very personable young Athboy man.