Niall McGinn

“To be part of a game with that atmosphere on Sunday was incredible. The match was played at a high tempo throughout.  In the first half we were a little disappointed with the way we played but we started the second half well with the goal and we finished the game off with a great goal from James. For him to step up and do that was sensational.

If we get a free kick on Saturday I am not sure who will take it! We will have a chat to see who feels more comfortable over the ball.

“Since I have come through the door at Pittodrie the team has improved each season. The players the manager has brought in this summer are all very good players and I feel this is the strongest squad we have had. If you look at the bench there is a lot of good players waiting to come on. It is good for the manager to have these options when he comes to choosing his best XI for a Saturday.

“Two weeks ago you would have looked at the table and said it was not a great start but after the week we have had with the two league wins and getting to a semi-final, things look a bit different now. It has been a great week for the club and we want to kick on now.

“Over the past couple of seasons, we have had some good results down there. For me personally I have no problem with the pitch and I have enjoyed playing on the artificial surfaces. I am sure it would probably be different if you were training on it every day.

“The three points on Saturday are the same ones that were up for grabs last Sunday. We now want to get some momentum going.  

“With five games in October, it is going to be an important month. With the week we have had we really want to push on now. We are back to Saturday to Saturday games for a few weeks which should help us. If we can get a positive result against Kilmarnock it will set us up nicely for the international break.

“Kilmarnock have shown on their day that they are a good side. They showed that with their performance against Rangers. They have players who can hurt you but we also know that if we are firing on all cylinders then we win more games than we lose.

“The boys are still on a high from last week so we are all looking forward to it.  

“I am delighted in the Northern Ireland squad once again. We have two big games coming up, at home to San Marino and then away to Germany. These are games you want to be involved in and with us doing so well in the Euros and now having the chance to go to a World Cup, there is a great spirit within the group.

“But that is next week, I am just focussing on the Kilmarnock game as we all want to head into the international break with a win behind us.”