The striker played alongside McInnes when he first broke into Dundee Utd’s first team, while Dons assistant Tony Docherty was an influence as a coach at Tannadice.
And the 25-year-old says the pair were key to his decision to join the Dons.
He said: “The manager didn’t need to press me very hard because I know the history of Aberdeen and how big a club this is so I jumped at the chance.
“Tony was my reserve coach when I was growing up at Dundee United and he helped me progress a lot.
“Derek was the captain at Tannadice when I was 17 and I always had a lot of respect for him as he was always nice to the young boys coming through the ranks.
“We’ll soon find out if I’ve come back a better player from my time down south, but I’ve learned a lot and there have been highs and lows.
“I’ve got a bit of catching up to do in terms of fitness in the next few days, but I’ll work hard to catch up with the rest of the boys."
Source: Scottish Daily Express