In a recent report by PMPR Excellence, Aberdeen striker James Wilson has been ranked as the player with the second highest social media influence in Scotland.
Only Jermain Defoe tops Wilson’s influence on social media platforms. The striker has just under 801,000 followers online, with the largest following on one social media account of any player, his Instagram.
It makes Aberdeen’s following look tiny in comparison. The Dons have 44,400 followers on the platform, a number far smaller than Wilson’s.
A large chunk of Wilson’s following will come from his spell at Manchester United. He broke into the first-team and made a handful of appearances a few years ago, which has boosted his profile online.
When top United stars like Paul Pogba have 36.7 million followers on the Instagram platform, it’s not hard to see how Wilson has built up a massive following.
Wilson now has to influence the Aberdeen team
Whilst he’s got massive influence on social media due to a 800,000 strong audience, Wilson has to prove he can change things on the pitch for Aberdeen.
Things have been going well so far for the Dons. They progressed from the first round of European qualifying against RoPS and are in a healthy position to progress from the second round too.
Sam Cosgrove’s three goals in three game in particular has limited Wilson to places on the bench. He hasn’t had the chance to influence the team yet, but that time will come soon.
With a flash of pace in his locker and ability to score in his game, Wilson will be a useful asset for Aberdeen. It’s important though that when the time comes, he snatches the opportunity with both hands.
A good impression when he next plays will go a long way for him. It may lead to more regular appearances and potentially starts.
He’s making waves on the internet, but Wilson will know he’s got a mountain of work ahead of him if he wants to influence Derek McInnes’ side.