Neil Cooper previewed the SFA Youth Cup match against Celtic on Sunday on RedTV. To watch the interview in full please click here.

"Unfortunately the preparation has not been good because of the lack of game time. The U19's league didn't resume until last week but obviously the game was postponed against Dunfermline. Before that we managed to play a friendly against Inverness who are under Duncan Shearer which was good but the other games we organised were cancelled because of the weather so it hasn't been the best preparation for the game on Sunday against Celtic but we will give it our best.

"We will be looking forward to the game, it's a home tie but it will be a difficult game. Celtic will be favourites but we drew one each with them earlier in the season at Balgownie in a league game. We have lost to them 4-2 down there where we conceded three goals from set-pieces which was disappointing. We need to be at our best, every player at the top of their game.

"Movement needs to be good, we need to be brave on the ball and pass it in the right areas and obviously defensively we have to make sure we are closing down and not showing them too much respect. We can't afford to lose concentration at vital times. We have to be strong and we have got that belief that we are good enough to get a result against Celtic if we show the right attitude and commitment.

"We have had some great games against Celtic in this competition in recent years. My first game back for the U19's and we got the boys into the final against Celtic at McDiarmid Park and it went to extra time. We must have played four or five semi-finals against Celtic but we have been unlucky that we have gotten to extra time and missed out by the odd goal. I think it was 2-1 and a 3-2.

"On the day we need to make sure we deserve to go through because if you make mistakes in the game it's going to cost you and you will pay the price. We will do our best and hopefully get through. We will treat it as our cup final because if we get through the tie and knock Celtic out we are in the semi-finals and then you are only one step away from a final at the national stadium.

The Dons task on Sunday has not been made easier with vice captain Jack Grimmer, captain Clark Robertson and possibly one other (depending upon team selection at Easter Road) not being available.

"If Clark is playing for the first-team then he won't be available and obviously Jack Grimmer has moved on. It is an opportunity for others but they have been two important players for us this season.

"Unfortunately for the young players nowadays there are agents out there trying to source the best talent in Scotland and England and further afield as well. It's unfortunate that Jack Grimmer has left but there is not much protection for the clubs who have developed them in their career but you can't question the boys for being offered a big contract from a premiership club. We got the question of whether it is right because they are young boys who haven't proved anything yet and it will be harder for them at a club the size of Fulham. We wish Jack all the best, his attitude here was always good and time will tell in the next few years whether he has made the right decision.

"They have all the money down there and they can afford to offer boys better contracts and it isn't going to hurt their budget whereas up here every penny counts towards the budget.

"We have to get on with it and, although we are disappointed Jack has left, it is an opportunity for other to establish themselves. I keep saying to the boys here that it is an opportunity to get a chance at a big club like Aberdeen to try and break into the first-team. We have a lot of young players in the first-team at the moment that have come through the youth ranks and that is testament to the club that they have managed to produce players for the past few decades.

"Craig Storie decided that staying at Aberdeen is the right move for him at this time and I will help him to, firstly, establish himself in the U19's and hopefully, further down the line, in the first team and then if he is good enough he will move onto bigger and better things.

"This year Craig Storie has come in and played a lot of games at 19's level and he doesn't look out of place, he is comfortable on the ball and his awareness is very good. He does the defensive side of the game well and he and Cammy Smith have come in and there have been no problems with them at this level in their first year. Kieran Gibbons has come in quite young and played a few games but he has shown really good possibilities as well.

Clark Robertson is also unavailable for different reasons.

"Clark Robertson has done exceptionally well. When he first broke into the first-team he did well but the team wasn't winning games and there is a time when the manager has to make a decision for more experience to try and steady the ship. When he came back in he played against Forfar and was first-class and he followed that up the next game.

"It's about getting players into the first-team and this club has done that on numerous occasions. You want to win and compete at U19 level but the most important thing is developing young players. I said to Clark how well he was doing for a player so young and was the stand-out player in some cases; now he has to show that level of performance week-in week-out.

"You get a huge lift playing for the first-team and the concentration levels are much higher and adrenalin is pumping with the bigger crowds so everyone wants to have a better performance. It's about mentality and temperament and how you handle the situation and he has shown he can do that and his performances have spoke volumes."

"Michael Dunlop will be captain with Clark being with the first-team and Jack having been vice captain. Big Michael will come into the side, he has had a bad injury but he has been back training for a while now and we hope he will push on during the rest of the season."