Experience manager Stuart McCall has tipped new signing Funso Ojo to be the ideal playmaker that Aberdeen have lacked in recenttime.

Ojo played under McCall at Scunthorpe and his former manager expect him to help the Scottish outfit to a greater heights next season.

McCall expects the 27-year-old Belgian-Nigerian to make a real impact at Pittodrie and believes he will give the Reds a creative spark and help them build from the back, which has been missing since McLean left for Norwich and Christie returned to Celtic.

McCall said: “He is a gifted player. I know from my time at Scunthorpe he was up in the top two or three in terms of ground covered.

“He is a gifted player. I know from my time at Scunthorpe he was up in the top two or three in terms of ground covered.

“Ojo has brilliant fitness but he is also a fantastic footballer. He is great with both feet and I would say he was best suited as a defensive midfielder.

“I don’t mean for stopping teams but from taking the ball from the back and linking with the midfield and forwards. He can be box-to-box but he is best as a No.6.

“He plays in the role that Ryan Jack did. He can tackle but he is not an aggressive type.”

Ojo is expected to strengthen Aberdeen’s midfield, but won’t be eligible Aberdeen Thursday’s game in Finland but if the Dons get past RoPS then he will be available for the next round.

McCall added that Ojo will be desperate prove his critics wrong , after a disappointing campaign that saw Scunthorpe relegated from England’s League One last term.

“We never saw the best of him last season because he had a couple of injuries plus he was also playing in a struggling team.

“The season before, when I used to watch Scunthorpe, he was a class above. If you can get him in a team playing passes and being creative then you will see the best of him.”

Meanwhile , Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes admits Ojo will be the arrow head of his new-look squad and will help to make a serious challenge domestically and in the Europa League.