Joe Lewis is considering hanging up his gloves after he terminated his Aberdeen contract.
The club captain ripped up the last year of his deal after the Dons agreed to bring in Ross Doohan to fight it out with Kelle Roos for the No.1 spot. Lewis had spent seven seasons at Pittodrie but is now set to return south and decide his next move – either in football or outwith. He said: “I’ve not made any firm decisions on what I’ll do next. I will assess my options and see what comes up.
“I won’t be a stranger to the north-east, that’s for sure, this has been my second home and I will visit frequently. It’s emotional to think we’ll be leaving the city because the people of Aberdeen have been so good to us. So I have to thank the fans, there has been a lot of ups and downs but the club is in fantastic hands. A big thank you for the last seven years for everyone who stuck with me through thick and thin.”
Lewis lost the gloves two seasons ago when Jim Goodwin brought in Roos. Since then he has had limited game time. The former England squad keeper said: “I have a year left but I spoke to the club because I didn’t want to just drag it out for the sake of having another year.
“I feel it has come to a natural end, I have so many good memories on and off the field. The birth of my second child in Aberdeen hospital, my first one has spent seven out of eight years here.
“I have had a great relationship with the supporters, managers and the owners of the club – people from top to bottom. So I have mixed feelings, it’s emotional – but I feel it has come to a natural end. I’m grateful to the club for being so good when I approached them about letting me go.
“Straight from the start I always felt I had a good relationship with the supporters and tried to be a calming influence on the back four or five. I got off to a strong start and that carried me through. I don’t think anyone could ever accuse me of not doing my best and giving all for the shirt.
“Being made captain was a huge honour, especially when you realise the history of the club. This is a big club so I’m proud to have played 271 games here.”
The 35-year-old has many highlights in his time at Pittodrie, since Derek McInnes signed him from Cardiff back in 2016. His form was so impressive that Rangers tried to get him and he landed his last bumper deal at Pittodrie. His only regret was that he never landed silverware in the Granite City.
He said: “There have been loads of highlights, a few performances like at Murrayfield against Hearts and then in the cup finals. You think back to certain saves, like the penalty one from Scott Sinclair – and even though we didn’t win, you look back on them as great memories. The disappointment was not winning some silverware because it was something I was really keen to do with the club.”
Lewis also believes that Aberdeen was in safe hands with Roos. The Englishman, speaking to RedTV, said: “You could tell Kelle is happy off the pitch and I like to think I played a small part in helping him settle in. He was exceptional last season. Keepers are close and I will miss them, we formed strong bonds together.”
