He may have been born almost a decade after Aberdeen’s famous Cup-Winners’ Cup triumph but Dons new signing Graeme Shinnie wants to play his part in creating more European glory nights.
The Dons players watched yesterday’s Europa League first qualifying round draw from their training base at St Andrews.
The Reds have been handed a trip into theunknown on Thursday week to face Macedonian side KF Shkendija.
Shinnie, who grew up in Aberdeen, knows all about the club’s proud history in European competition, although his abiding memories are from Jimmy Calderwood’s time in charge rather than the heady days of Alex Ferguson.
The defender says the club’s memorable 2007-08 Uefa Cup run when they set up a third-round encounter with German giants Bayern Munich after progressing from a group which included Atletico Madrid, Panathinaikos, Lokomotiv Moscow and Copenhagen has given him an insight into what can be achieved.
Shinnie said: “The one I can think back to is when Aberdeen beat Copenhagen 4-0.
“It was a sellout and it was a great atmosphere and that is what you really look forward to as players.
“I don’t know if I have been to many European games but I have been to a few other games at Pittodrie.
“It will be something new to experience and it will be even better than I am out on the pitch playing in the game.
“Hopefully, we can progress right through.
“Friends and people round me who love the club love to talk about the great European nights.
“It is up to us to enjoy the games but the only way we can do that is by winning these matches.”
Shinnie has barely had time to relax since ending last season on a high with Caley Thistle by lifting the Scottish Cup at Hampden with a 2-1 success against Falkirk on May 30.
But the left back is quite content to sacrifice some extra time off for the opportunity to play for the Dons in Europe.
He said: “I have never been to Macedonia but I am looking forward to the game and going.
“It is a new challenge because I have never experienced European football and hopefully it is something I can enjoy.
“A few of the boys were on their phones looking for some information on them.
“I have heard it is quite a hot country just now. I never got a holiday in the summer, so that will suit me. Now we know where we are going we can now look forward to that.”
Shinnie had options to move south of the border when his contract at Caley Thistle expired but is confident he has made the right decision to remain in Scotland with the Dons.
He added: “The club is on the up.
“I spoke to the manager before I signed and he sold it very well and the way he wanted to go and where I was going to fit in.
“For me, that suited me more than anything else I had and was one of the main reasons why I came here.
“My aim is simply to do the best I can. I played well at Inverness and got some plaudits there.
“Being at Aberdeen is a new start for me and it is up to me to go out and do the business and to impress the supporters.”