Paton was released on transfer deadline day after six years at Pittodrie so he could attempt to find a new team.
And the 23-year-old told the Daily Record that being told he had no future at the club hurt.
He said: “It is a sore one to take. It’s really disappointing. I have been at Aberdeen since I was a kid, I love the club and the fans have been brilliant.
“How could I score goals when I wasn’t playing? It’s pretty hard to do it when you are sitting on the bench.
“When I did play, I was out on the wing and never got a run up front. It wasn’t like we were banging in the goals.”