Jack MacKenzie left Aberdeen to fulfil another dream as Plymouth new boy reveals the truth about Rangers swirls
Jack MacKenzie has reversed the trend – and landed his Holy Grail before he became a Pilgrim.
The defender is now preparing to kick-off his new career with Plymouth Argyle. It comes just weeks after he lifted the Scottish Cup with his boyhood heroes Aberdeen.
MacKenzie's final stand was parading the trophy on an open- top bus round his home city for the first time in 35 years. The 25-year-old now has a new adventure down south and said: 'I always wanted to play in England. I feel if you go down there and it works out then it could be unbelievable.
'I wanted to give it a go and am at the right age – so I'm really looking forward to getting going with Plymouth. The time was right. I love Aberdeen and it has been amazing but football is a short career. I had an urge to try something outside of Scotland.
'A new team, country and league. Moving from my home city was a difficult decision but I just felt it was the right one. I want to push myself to see how I could kick on.'
MacKenzie admits he really did live the dream at Pittodrie. He said: 'I had the most amazing time at Aberdeen. It was a dream come true.
'I joined the club at nine and was there until I was 25. It was amazing and to finish it off with the Scottish Cup win – it was the perfect way to sign off.
'It was my final game for the club and it was another dream come true to end it that way. It doesn't get any better than lifting the Scottish Cup with your hometown team. There was no better way to finish.'
Rumours had been rife for months that MacKenzie would be moving on. He was even linked with a move to Rangers but insists he could never have left his beloved Dons for another Scottish team.
He said: 'I was never leaving Aberdeen for another Scottish club – that was never going to happen. I saw the speculation but it was miles off the mark.'
MacKenzie may no longer be an Aberdeen player but he will always remain a fan and won't close the door on a Pittodrie return some time in the future.
'I would love for that door to be open,' the full-back admitted. 'My family live in the city and so do my friends. I will be back as much as I can.
'I love the club. If that option was there and the club also wanted it then, 100 per cent, I would never close the door in the future.'
MacKenzie has swapped one end of Britain for the other. Tom Cleverley is his new manager after the man who signed him, Miron Muslic, left for Schalke following Plymouth's relegation to League One.
It is a time of change after he lived the dream for 15 years with Aberdeen. He had been at Aberdeen since he was nine and there were many highlights – from his debut in 2021 to a landmark appearance last season.
'My debut against Dundee United at Tannadice was special,' he said. 'It has been 12 since I joined Aberdeen. Making your debut at 21 is quite late.
'Even then, I wasn't sure what was going to happen with the new manager (Stephen Glass) coming in. I was just like, 'Well, whatever happens at least now I have played for Aberdeen!'
'I managed to play a lot more games which I am delighted about. My 100th appearance, against Motherwell last season, was another high. I didn't think I'd make one appearance so to get to 100 was really big.'
Another career highlight was his goal at Ibrox back in 2023 that helped to seal a 3-1 win for Aberdeen and brought the axe down on Rangers boss Michael Beale. It is one that will live long in the memory for both the player and the Red Army.
MacKenzie said: 'At that point, Rangers had hardly lost to anyone at home outside of Celtic in the league.
'It felt like it was a big deal and it was bit of a big deal for me. It was a turning point for me to go and kick on.
'It gave me a massive confidence boost. A few weeks before that I had given away the penalty against Eintracht Frankfurt and it had felt that things just weren't going my way. So the Rangers game kicked me on.'
So did getting called up by Steve Clarke for Scotland's Nations League games against big guns Croatia and Portugal just last year.
'It feels like a long time ago because so much has happened since then,' he joked. 'I didn't expect it at all. I am not daft – the position I play in is one of the strongest positions we have got.
'There were a lot of injuries and I got the call. I was playing well and it worked out fine. 'To experience that was incredible because I'd never played for Scotland at any age.
'It was all new for me and to go away with the full squad was really something. It was also good to be in the squad with Nicky Devlin.
'To see him get his cap was also amazing. I just need to keep playing as well as I can.'
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