Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie spoke to RedTV recently to preview Sunday’s League Cup final.

“Leading the team out is something you look back on as an honour rather than enjoying it in the moment because you’ve got a game to play. You don’t really take in as much as you maybe should because my focus is on trying to win the game that’s ahead of me. I blank out the things around me – it’s more when you look back that you realise how proud a moment it is, and the amount of times that I’ve been fortunate enough to do it has been amazing. But I want to take that next step, and help Aberdeen win a trophy

“We’ve played enough big games, in enough big stadiums in Europe and at Hampden for the semi-final. The players know about big occasions for the club with a lot of expectation, they’ve had that experience, so that’ll stand them in good stead. I’m always there if they need to ask any questions, but we all know the job in hand and what we need to do.

“We won’t have spent too much time thinking about the cup final because the thoughts will be on Thursday’s game with Frankfurt for most of the week, so you don’t turn to the final until Friday morning. After Frankfurt, it’s about recovering, it’s a shorter build up to the game but that might be a good thing, no time to overthink it. The preparation will still be the same in terms of training and video meetings and whatever else but you never know, it might be better for the boys to be thinking about something else in the early part of the week and then get our heads right on the game for the last couple of days.

“The fans have been amazing for us in a tough season where we have been very inconsistent. They’ve stuck with us the whole way and that’s vitally important for the squad. The boys really feed off them and what they give us, and that’s a new experience for some of the boys who have come in. They have followed us everywhere with so many away games, so we are desperate to try and reward them with a cup, just for their loyalty and the backing that they’ve given us.

“I’ve said all along that lifting silverware here is something that I’m desperate to do. It would make me so happy to deliver that to the club, to the staff, and to the fans especially. But I can’t get ahead of myself on that. We’ve got a massive job to do at Hampden if we are going to have any chance of winning.”