Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie: Qualifying for Europa League would be massive moment

Graeme Shinnie admits qualifying for the Europa League with Aberdeen would be a “massive moment” in his stellar career.

The Dons are in Bucharest for the second leg of their play-off with FCSB on Thursday night and the tie is finely balanced after a 2-2 draw at Pittodrie last week.

Shinnie, 34 and capped six times for Scotland, captained both Inverness and the Dons to William Hill Scottish Cup final wins.

On his 300th appearance for the Pittodrie club last May, Shinnie led Aberdeen to a penalty shootout victory over treble-chasing Celtic at Hampden Park which allowed the Granite City club to enter the European competition at this stage and another ambition could be realised on Thursday.

The former Derby and Wigan midfielder said: “It’s huge. It’s where we want to be as a team, as a club, we all are focused on that.

“I’m getting on a bit now. I’m still involved in these big games and I’ve still got opportunities to continue to achieve things in my career and if I could drive the team on to qualify for the Europa League, it would be another massive moment in my career.

“It’s not something that I’m overly focused on, I’m more focused on the game and what we have to do in the game but naturally after it, if you can achieve it, then it’s a massive thing for all our careers.”

The winners in Bucharest will progress to the league phase of the Europa League while the losers drop into the Conference League.

Shinnie insists the Aberdeen dressing room has a “strong belief” that they can leave Romania having qualified for the bigger Euro tournament.

He said: “It’s just excitement. We’ve worked hard all week in training. We’re ready for it.

“It’s a big opportunity in a big game. And I’ve always said it when I’ve been at Aberdeen, you want to be involved in these big games and European games are something different to obviously domestic football, so it’s one we’re all really excited for, one we’re looking forward to and we’ll give it our all.

“There’s strong belief. You have to have belief or there’s no point in playing in the game.

“Every game we go into, we go into it thinking that we’re going to win and we have the belief that we’re going to win.

“Obviously, it’s going to be tough. You know that. These games are always tough. But the belief has to be there in the squad and it was a good first game at Pittodrie. Pretty even, to be fair.

“We made a couple of mistakes, gave away a couple of goals, but the character in the squad was good to bring it back.

“So it’s all in the balance and it has the makings to be another good game.”

Dons boss Jimmy Thelin, who has fit-again Shayden Morris back in contention, said: “We did well last season to win the (Scottish) Cup, and we get this opportunity to be in this play-off, and the first game was a draw.

“So now it’s everything on the game tomorrow, and it’s winner takes it all.

“So no regrets after the game, give it everything you have.”