Anthony Stewart says he was told he had to leave Aberdeen in the final hours of the transfer window despite having no desire to leave Pittodrie.
The Englishman is on loan at MK Dons after an 11th hour switch on January 31 and doesn’t know where his future lies with a year still to run on his contract at Aberdeen. Stewart was immediately installed as captain after being signed by Jim Goodwin from Wycombe last summer. But he accepts he didn’t fit with Barry Robson’s plans after the coach stepped into the breach following Goodwin’s sacking.
Robson wasted no time in bolstering the defence signing Angus MacDonald from Swindon and Mattie Pollock on loan from Watford. That left Stewart out in the cold and the centre-back says he was left with no option but to head to Stadium MK as his spell in the north east ended on a low.
Opening up on his move to Milton Keynes the 30-year-old said: “I wouldn't say things weren't going right there, but we were having a tough time. I didn't have any thoughts about moving away, I was focused on the task ahead of me. But on deadline day I was told I had to leave really, I had no choice.
“MK had shown interest in me all month, which is lovely of them, so I made the move. It's a game of opinions, and I wasn't fit for the manager who was appointed at the time, so I had to move on and do what I had to do for myself. I know (football) comes with highs and lows, and to be fair, it ended on a low, but I'm proud to have been up there and been captain.”
Stewart made 29 appearances for Aberdeen but was the target of criticism from fans after red cards against St Mirren on Christmas Eve and Rangers in the League Cup semi final at Hampden a month later proved costly in both matches The defender made his MK Dons debut last weekend in a 2-2 draw with former club Wycombe.
But he has no idea where he will be playing his football next season. He said: “At the moment, it's just a six-month loan. My focus is to help MK Dons survive, not get relegated.
“I’ve not got any other aims, I'm not looking too far ahead because I don't know what the future holds. I'm just glad to be back playing and to help the team as much as I can.”
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