Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie feeling ‘extremely grateful’ on edge of 17th season

Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie is adamant he has no intention of winding down as he prepares to turn 34 on the day he kicks off his 17th season as a professional footballer.

The midfielder is set to mark his birthday by leading out the Dons at Tynecastle for their William Hill Premiership opener at Hearts on Monday night.

Shinnie, who made his senior debut for Inverness in August 2009, played 48 matches last term, including the full 120 minutes of the Reds’ memorable Scottish Cup triumph over Celtic in May, and he is confident he still has “many years left” at the top level of Scottish football.

“I’m extremely grateful to still be in this position, captain of a massive club at this age,” he said in a club interview.

“To still, first and foremost, be as healthy as I am and as fit as I am, I take a little bit of credit in that in how I’ve looked after my body and how I’ve done things over the years. But to still be here and be in this position, I’m extremely grateful.

“I still feel like I’ve got many years to go. You can’t look too far into the future now, but last year I played a lot of games, I played a lot of minutes.

“I had next to no injuries. I had an infection in my leg, that was the only thing I had. It wasn’t really an injury, I stayed away from injuries.

“I’ve made 300 appearances (for Aberdeen), I want to push on to 350. If I can make that, then push on to 400, keep striving for more.

“I’m still near the top of the fitness stats. As long as I stay away from injuries, which I’ve been pretty good for in my career, then I feel like I’ve got a lot more in the tank.

“I’m hungry for more success. I want to achieve as much as I can. So, yeah, season 17, hopefully it’s the best season yet.”

The Dons made a stunning start to last season before a dramatic form dip saw them finish fifth in the Premiership. After basking in the afterglow of their Scottish Cup glory day, Shinnie is intent on making sure his side are more consistent in the campaign ahead.

“The inconsistency was so bad for us last season, so we want to change that,” he said. “We want to be more consistent throughout the season. And if we can do that, then it’ll be a good season.”