Three of the senior players in the squad have been speaking over the past few weeks about Sunday’s game.

Jonny Hayes

“I don’t have that mentality that a semi-final is good enough, but I’ve been around Aberdeen long enough to know that it’s a minimum requirement. We came through the group stage which can be tricky in itself, we’ve seen plenty of big teams going out in previous years, but we’ve played well in the League Cup this season. We’ll need to do that again at Hampden. To win cups, you have to beat the best teams.

“Hampden is a ground where I’ve enjoyed some success and I’ve had some tough defeats. When it’s full and when it’s a big occasion it’s a good ground. I’ve enjoyed some good games there and had one or two terrible games there, so it’s a big mixed bag of feelings when I go to Hampden. But there’s no getting away from the fact that whenever you go there, it’s a big occasion. You go into the bigger changing rooms, it always has a sense of being a big occasion, regardless of the fixture. I’m looking forward to Sunday.

“I’m 35 and I’m still learning. The only way to really learn is when you make mistake and the coach or a teammate highlights it in a positive way. We are a quite young team with Jack, Connor, Hayden, Ryan, Leighton, Jayden and so on. They are starting to learn from experience rather than just from the training pitch. The old cliché is people want experience, but you only get that experience from playing in those occasions and learning from. Sometimes a young team will see a big occasion, have no fear of it and they embrace it and perform really well. That’s what we’re looking for on Sunday.”

Graeme Shinnie

“I can’t remember my last visit to Hampden but that is a good thing because we had so many big games in my time here, that speaks volumes of what a good team we had. The only frustration is we didn’t lift any silverware.

“The one that stands out in my head was the one against Rangers where Lewis Ferguson scored late on. I have witnessed some amazing atmospheres at the national stadium and it is where people want to be.

“Winning these games is massive for the players and the supporters to have a cup final to look forward to.

“This is a big club that demands winning mentalities and winning runs.

“If you can’t get up for this sort of game then you are struggling. Everybody knows what is at stake and it is one we are looking forward to.

“We will do all we can to get through this game.”

Anthony Stewart

“It is going to be a great honour to lead the team out at Hampden. But I can’t let the occasion override the job I have to do on the pitch. I have to stay focussed and do the best I can.

“All the players are very focussed this week. The manager has given us our objective and hopefully we can go out and complete our task. No matter what happens during the game, we need to stick to the plan.

“I played at Wembley and scored, so it would be good to repeat that on Sunday.

“Winning silverware is what every professional sets out to do when they begin their careers. Sunday gives us a chance to take a step closer to doing that, so it is a massive game. It is also a massive game because of the confidence it would give us if we were to win.

“We do have a young squad, but I don’t feel age plays a part when it comes to winning big games and winning cups. It is about mentality and who is the better team on the day.

“I think it is important to have leaders in all areas of the pitch, I obviously play in defence and now we have Graeme in midfield. You want as many leaders as possible in your side. It does not matter who wears the armband.

“We have a good bunch of players, and we know what we can do on our day. It is just about finding that level of consistency more often than not.

“Because of what the club have done in the past, there are high expectations at this club. It is up to us as players to live up to those expectations to achieve what the fans what, and to match what the club has done in the past. I would not say that the expectation is a bad or negative thing. As players we have to rise to it.”