Fleetwood Town midfielder Paul Coutts feels being rejected by hometown club Aberdeen at the age of 16 did not affect him and has revealed that he did not want to play for the Scottish side.
Coutts was born in Aberdeen and drafted into the club's youth set-up from the age of just 10. However, the Dons opted to release him six years later as he was deemed to be too small for the professional game.
Being released was a blow for Coutts, but he shrugged off the disappointment and signed for Cove Rangers, something he combined with full time work, before then making the move south of the border to Peterborough United.
The midfielder has never returned to Scotland to play his club football and admits that he does not look back with regret at being released by Aberdeen.
Coutts admits that by the end of his time at Pittodrie he was "sick" of being on the books at Aberdeen.
“I don’t think what happened at Aberdeen changed me", Coutts told the Athletic.
"I didn’t really want to play for them, if I am honest. I was a bit sick of it.
"I’d been there since I was eight, training three nights a week up to 16 and playing on a Sunday. It takes over your whole life.
“Going to Cove was the best thing that could have happened. It was a totally different environment.
"Same with working as a sub-sea technician. Boiler suit on every day, probably working about 10 hours.
"Basically, I just mucked around. I would be told to sweep something up. So I did.
"I didn’t really know what I was doing, but it was great. I got in with a great group of lads and enjoyed myself.”
Coutts was part of the Sheffield United squad that earned promotion to the Premier League last season, but now plies his trade for League One club Fleetwood after he was released by the Blades this summer.
