Aberdeen midfielder Jonny Hayes is confident his team can close the gap on treble-winning Celtic next season.
The Dons gave Celtic an almighty scare in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final, but their efforts counted for nothing as Tom Rogic swept home the winning goal in added time.
Hayes had put the Dons in front with his 11th goal of the campaign with nine minutes on the clock but Aberdeen-born Celtic midfielder Stuart Armstrong equalised only two minutes later.
The Dons have finished second to the Hoops in all three competitions – the Scottish Premiership, the Scottish Cup and the League Cup – but Hayes is confident manager Derek McInnes will do all in his power to ensure his team enjoys more days out at Hampden next season.
He said: “The manager can take credit from the way the team has improved every season he has been here and I’m sure it will be the same next year.
“We’ve got an honest enough squad and if players are moving on they’ll have told the manager so he can bring in better replacements.
“He’ll be in overtime now preparing for next season.
“He doesn’t have much time with the European games but he’s always had a thing about being the hardest-working manager and making sure he has the hardest-working players.
“If you see him day in, day out you realise how hard he works and I’ve never come across a manager who works as hard. I’m sure he’ll have replacements lined up.
“It’s a compliment to the job he’s done that he’s been linked with other clubs but there’s not a player that wouldn’t want him in change when we come back in three or four weeks’ time.”
Hayes defended Celtic captain Scott Brown for celebrating towards the Aberdeen supporters at the final whistle. He said: “It’s a cup final and an emotional game and sometimes supporters forget that players can get emotional too.
“Scott Brown gets a bit of stick from Aberdeen supporters – and a load of other supporters – but he won the cup and earned the right to celebrate however he wants.
“I would never begrudge anyone celebrating, especially a cup final.
“I caught the back end of it, but I was too busy in a daze with what had just happened in the game.
“They’ve had a great season so he can celebrate as he wants. Players are just as passionate, if not more, than supporters.
“Football brings you the highest of highs and lowest of lows and the two dressing rooms at full time would have told you that.
“Sometimes it’s hard to fathom for people on the outside just how much it does mean to players out on that pitch and how much silverware can change your life.
“They had a big thing going for the treble to put them right up with the greatest teams in their history so there was a lot riding on the game.
If a little bit of emotion spilled over then I’m sure everyone can understand why it happened.”