Liam Scales has already tasted glory in the Premier Sports Cup and he would love to do the same with Aberdeen.
The 24-year-old came on as a late substitute when Celtic defeated Hibernian 2-1 to win the trophy at Hampden last year.
The Dons could take a step closer to cup glory when they host Partick Thistle in the quarter-finals of the competition this evening.
The on-loan Celtic defender hopes to have another trip to Hampden to look forward to later this season.
He said: “I came on late (in the 2021 final) and we beat Hibs.
“It was unbelievable. That was my first taste of silverware in Scotland.
“It was brilliant. The stadium was full and the atmosphere was amazing.
“It was a tight game and I was brought on to see the game out in the last few minutes.
“It was a nervy experience but we got the trophy.
“It was a brilliant experience.
“Hampden is a special place. I was there a couple of weeks ago for the Scotland v Ireland game when I was in the stand.
“The atmosphere is brilliant and it would be great for the players who haven’t been there before.
“It is a good stadium and obviously it is the fans who create the atmosphere.
“The fans are passionate in Scotland. Like most places you go, if the stadium is packed then it can be intimidating, loud and a great experience.”
Scales believes a club of Aberdeen’s stature should be making regular appearances at Hampden.
The Dons won the 2014 League Cup under Derek McInnes and were beaten finalists in the competition in the 2016-17 and 2018-19 campaigns.
The defender said: “When you are here you really feel the size of the club. It is a big part of the city.
“You see it with the number of fans who travel to the away games that it is a big club.
“Last season didn’t go to plan but we have kicked off quite well this season.
“It has been a bit inconsistent but we want to make good runs in both cups.
“A win would take us to Hampden and would be a great day out for the fans.
“We know we can’t look past Partick but we know what is at stake and that is good motivation for us.”
On the expectation levels at Pittodrie, he added: “The fans here have experienced winning before.
“They have experienced successful times so it is not surprising that is what they expect from us.
“We are a young side and we are learning.
“As the season goes on, we want to become more consistent and finish as far up the table as we can.
“In the league, it is very tight between third and ninth place but we are right in the mix.
“We are trying to improve and better ourselves to win games that we have maybe drawn or lost so far.
“It is a massive club with a big fanbase and we should be up the top end of the table and competing for cups.”
Scales accepts that the pressure will be on to progress against Championship leaders Partick Thistle.
He added: “Because we’re the Premiership club and they’re in the Championship we’re considered favourites but they’re on a great run.
“We’ve done our study on them, we’ve been watching clips.
“They’re going to have a right go because they’ve nothing to lose, coming to an away tie.
“A trip to Hampden would be great for them and that’s going to be their motivation too.
“We just can’t underestimate them and we won’t.
“We know how well they’re doing and they could easily be competing in the Premiership next season.
“We need to keep playing the way we have been at home, not drop any levels.”
Scales, meanwhile, is looking forward to the introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) to Scottish football more than most.
The defender was involved in the most controversial moment of Aberdeen’s season to date when he was sent off for conceding a penalty in a challenge with Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous.
Footage of the incident appeared to show the Hibernian defender had grabbed Scales before both players hit the ground with Dons manager Jim Goodwin receiving an eight-match ban for his comments after the match.
The Dons boss, whose appeal against the lengthy dugout ban will be heard on October 31, described the incident as “blatant cheating” from the Hibernian and Scotland defender.
The Dons will play in a league match with VAR for the first time this weekend when they visit Motherwell on Saturday.
Scales added: “I think it’s a good thing. It’s going to go against me at times and bail me out at times, that’s the way it’s going to work.
“It’ll help players and go against them but it does create a level playing field.
“It works well 99 per cent of the time so I think it’ll be a good addition to the Scottish game.”
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