Want the latest Scottish sport news sent straight to your inbox? Join thousands of others who have signed up to our Record Sport newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

DANNY WARD has admitted he’s been surprised by the quality of Scottish football since joining Aberdeen.

The keeper signed a year-long loan deal from Liverpool and after being thrust right into the action he’s admitted he’s taken some stick from his Merseyside colleagues about the standard of football in Scotland.

However, he reckons it is a lot better than given credit for.

He said: “I only knew a few bits and bobs about Scottish football before I came here and I got a bit of stick from the boys back down the road.

“But I have been impressed with the quality as it is a really competitive league where anyone can get a result against anyone else.

“Kilmarnock showed that by drawing against Celtic just a few days after we beat them.”

With Wales looking to achieve qualification for next summer’s Euro 2016 finals in France the Wrexham native is hoping his performances under Derek McInnes can help him claim the Welsh No.1 jersey.

He said: “I’m playing games now at a good level and that can do me no harm in staying in the Wales squad.

“It’s been a work in progress for a few years now going back to the days when Gary Speed was in charge. A lot of the players have come together through the Under-21s and we have got a lot of hungry young guys who are pushing on.

“You have the superstars like Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale in the team as well and that is working for us.”

(Image: Paul Ellis / Getty Images)

Ward has enjoyed a good start to his Aberdeen career – thrown straight into the starting line-up and holding off competition from last season regular Scott Brown.

Pittodrie boss McInnes has shown a lot of faith in his young Welsh loanee putting him between the posts for both European and league duty and he isn’t planning on giving it up any time soon.

He said: “I had a good chat with him before I signed and he really sold the club to me.

“I was already keen to come to Aberdeen but what he had to say was really the cherry on top to be honest.

“He’s been brilliant to me since I came to Pittodrie and I am enjoying working under him.

“It certainly helps that I got in the team quickly as I wouldn’t have wanted things to fester on my mind if I hadn’t been playing.

“The fact that you get chucked straight in means you don’t really think about it at all so it has helped me settle in quickly.

“It’s only been a couple of games but it has been a good start and hopefully we can continue that against Dundee.

“I knew that Aberdeen are a big club and should be challenging for cups and pushing Celtic in the league.

“You can’t just turn up and expect to be playing as there were really good keepers already here at the club.”