Aberdeen midfielder Kenny McLean insists Celtic are not unbeatable and aims to prove it in Sunday’s League Cup final against the Hoops at Hampden.
McLean staked his claim for a place in the cup showpiece team after he scored twice as the Dons hit back from behind to beat Caley Thistle 3-1 at Caledonian Stadium on Saturday.
The win keeps the Dons in second place in the Scottish Premiership and ensures the top two teams in Scottish football will go head-to-head for the first trophy of the domestic season this weekend.
The Hoops go into the final as strong favourites and have yet to be beaten in Scottish domestic football this season but McLean believes his side can be the first team to blot Brendan Rodgers’ copybook.
He said: “Celtic are a great team but for people to say they are unbeatable is a load of rubbish. We have the squad and the team to beat them, so whoever is picked for the final will be confident going into the game.
“A lot is made of teams suffering after playing in European games in midweek but I know Celtic will not use it as an excuse on Sunday. They have the squad and the players, so I don’t think them playing and us having the whole week to prepare will be a factor.
“The boys will be together and we will watch the game on Wednesday. If there are weaknesses to be found we’ll be looking for them and whatever threats they have we have to try to nullify them.
“If you don’t believe you are capable of beating Celtic there is no point in stepping on to the pitch before a game. We showed we have enough quality last season and everyone from the manager and the staff to the players believes we can win on Sunday.”
McLean impressed in the Dons’ win at Caledonian Stadium and he was happy to repay his manager’s backing in him after a sluggish start to the campaign.
He said: “To get two goals was great and scoring goals is something I need to do more.
“Last season I scored nine goals and it was a decent season for me but I started this season slowly, although the manager stood by me and it is nice to come through that spell and show the performances the manager and everyone else in the team expects from me.
“The confidence is high throughout the squad and we are looking forward to Sunday. It is a day where we will enjoy ourselves.”