Peter Leven sat down with the media on Wednesday lunchtime to preview our Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi-Final match with Celtic at Hampden Park. RedTV subscribers can watch in full now through the video above.

“It’s good news (the appointment of Jimmy Thelin), coming in with Christer (Persson) and Emir (Bajrami). We broke it to the boys yesterday morning, they’re happy, the fans are happy. It is good news all round.

“I had a brief chat with him on the phone last night which was good. That was the first contact I had with him. I welcomed him to the club and said I was looking forward to working with him. I said we would be in regular contact between now and the end of the season.

“I think the fans and obviously the players need to know (who the manager is). We have players who are out of contract and who are under contract. I think clarity is the right word and hopefully we can focus on the rest of the season.

“I am delighted with my role in the new set up. I’ve enjoyed every minute since I have been here. We’ve got a tough run to the end of the season but I am going to enjoy it.

“We have to respect Elfsborg because he is still the manager there. I said to him whatever you need, training videos, a bit of insight about players, all that stuff. It was a general comment that we would be in regular contact.

“It is exciting (working with people you haven’t worked with in the past.) I have done it before when I went abroad so it is nothing new to me.

“There is a talented group there. If we can win on Saturday then that is another cup final this season, that would be two cup finals this season. He has inherited a talented group, Jimmy will have an eye on the squads coming up. He will be in regular contact with myself and we can have discussions about players and stuff.

“It has been an up and down season. The cup games have been really good, League Cup, Scottish Cup and in Europe. The league form has not been good enough. I’ve got to take the positives. We are four games unbeaten now, conceded two goals in five games. Hopefully we’ve turned a corner.

“The players work hard everyday. Maybe it has been the amount of games, a lot of the players have never played in Europe. I think we are at nearly our 50th game of the season so maybe that is a combination of things. The players work hard everyday and give you everything.

“Saturday’s game is huge. We are Aberdeen and we want to be competing in the later stages of the competitions. It is another chance to get to a cup final, two cup finals this year would be amazing. We are playing a team on form so we know it is going to be difficult.

“Saturday is not a free hit. We are going down there to win the game. We want to get to another final. It is going to be difficult. They are a top team. We have a game plan and hopefully we can execute it.

“Our last game with Celtic was at home and it was 1-1. I thought in the second half we had a really good go at them. We have got to have that belief and trust what we are trying to do to get that result.

“This is why we play football, why we coach football. We want to get to these finals to compete at the best stage. I said to them there this is a great opportunity and hopefully one that we can take.

“The fans have been brilliant since I have been here, they have followed us all over Europe, in the League Cup Final. Get right behind us, get right behind the boys and make loads of noise.

“It is a big blow losing your captain. Shinnie will still be there, he will be in and around the boys in the changing room. It is a big blow for us. Team news wise, everybody is fit.”