The following players spoke to RedTV in the media mixed zone at Hampden after the game:

Graeme Shinnie

“I think it is a bit of both – we let ourselves down and Celtic played well.

“I am gutted. I am disappointed in the performance and I am sure all the boys will say that and be honest enough to admit that. I thought the effort and the hard work was there but we just did not get into the game. It is so frustrating. Credit to Celtic, they played well but we made it too easy for them.

“They only had a couple of chances in the first half but that is what they do.

“Our performance was not good enough on the day and we know that. That is the hard part to take.

“The build-up the game and the week we had was great and it is a game every player wants to be part of. We have to use the experience of today to drive us on so we get to as many cup finals as we can and look to win them instead of losing.

“The fans were different class and I feel that we have let them down. All I can do is thank them for their support. I feel sorry for them because of the way we played and can only thank them for their efforts.

“It is a busy time coming up in December. This will hurt today and tomorrow but we need to move on and when we come back in work harder than ever in training. We have a big game next week.”

Ashton Taylor

“To concede two goals in the first half with really the only two chances they created in the first forty-five minutes was bitterly disappointing. They were clinical. I just thought in the second half we were better when we got at them and we looked brighter. We had a good spell at the start of the half and if we had nicked a goal at that point it might have been a different story but unfortunately, they went down the other end and got a penalty and at that point the match was too much in their favour.

“At 2-0 we never felt we were beaten but the penalty was a bit of a nail in the coffin.

“We did not create many openings but the keeper has made a good save from Andy’s header. From set plays we did cause them a few problems, there was another one that was just nicked off my head in the first half. But from open play we did not open them up as much as we would have liked.

“Before I signed for Aberdeen the manager spoke about being in cup finals. I saw the pictures from 2014 and I wanted to be part of that. Today I experienced what the fans are like in a cup final but we never got the win for them. They were outstanding. To see the display and the backing we got was fantastic.

“We are going to be hurting tonight but we have to channel that into the game on Saturday. Rangers away is a massive game and then we have a very hectic December. We have to refocus and make sure we come out of the month in a good position.”

Kenny McLean

“I don't think we started well at all.

“We showed Celtic a lot of respect, you could say too much.

“They kept the ball along the back and we just didn't put enough pressure on them high up the pitch, or show enough intensity earlier on, and then the first goal went in.

“After the second goal, coming back against a team like Celtic was always going to be an uphill battle. But the way we started the second-half was encouraging. We came out, we had a couple of half-chances, and we were showing signs of maybe a comeback. But then we gave away the penalty. After that it really was an uphill battle, though. It was always going to be against us.

'It will be hard but we need to pick ourselves up and we need to stick together. We've done well to get here, we need to remember that. We're sitting in a decent position in the league and we go to Ibrox next Saturday, which is obviously going to be another hard game. We need to get ourselves ready for that as soon as possible. We will come in on Tuesday and work towards that.'

Joe Lewis

“There is a lot of disappointment in the changing room.

“We never gave ourselves a chance in the game. We gave them a little bit too much space and with quality players that's going to hurt you.

“From my view point I felt they had the better of the first half. There was a header that did not cause me too many problems and then two good finishes led to two goals. I felt we allowed Rogic onto his left foot a bit too easily and when you have a player of that quality, he is going to find the corner which he did. And then the second goal I have not seen back yet so it is difficult to comment too much.

“That was the only real chances they had in the first half. When you play against good opposition they don’t need too many chances and unfortunately for us they put them away.

“When they got 2-0 up it's a long way back.

“We had a chat at half time and came out a lot more on the front foot. We said the next goal was vital.

“We did not allow them as much space in midfield as we had done in the first half. That is not a criticism of the midfield, the problem was as a defensive unit we were not up high enough. Our starting positions needed to be better.

“In the second half we got more onto the front foot and we had one or two spells where we caused them a few problems but we did not work their keeper as often as we would have liked to. In games like today you need to take advantage of those spells. You need to take the half chances and make the most of them. We were not able to do that today.

“'The manager was about to make a change as the penalty was given so that was a crucial couple of minutes. If we'd ridden that attack maybe things might have been different. It was still a big ask, it was an uphill battle after the first half performance.

“It would have been easy for them attacking their fans, with their tails up, 3-0 up, to have scored more but we did not throw the towel in.

“There's a lot of disappointment. We are a better team than we showed today. It' s down to us to dust ourselves down. It will be a difficult couple of days but then we need to get back into training and be positive again as we have a huge game at the weekend.

Ryan Jack

“It was a tough one to take.

“I am slightly lost for words as it is difficult to express the disappointment.

“We are a tight group and we have got a great team spirit and we will stick together. We will pick the bones out of the defeat. We will look back at the game and figure out what went wrong and then make sure at 3.00pm on Saturday at Ibrox we are good to go again.

“I am sure there will be plenty of people asking how will Aberdeen react? How will the team spirit be? How will the team be? How will the individuals be? I will be part of the recovery process to make sure the boys are picked up and ready to go again at training. There is a massive game on Saturday so there is no time to dwell on it or feel sorry for ourselves.

“We are disappointed, especially because we had such a good support down who got right behind the team and made such a good atmosphere. We really wanted to send them home with a trophy.

“At 3-0 down is was rough as their tails were up and everyone was wanting the ball. Their fans are celebrating and it was a difficult spell but we did not cave in.

“I have said before it is a great team to be part of and we must show that now and come out fighting. It is the only thing we can do. There is no better place to start that fightback than at Ibrox on Saturday.

“From a personal experience the result completely ruined the day. It is not a day I will look back on and want to remember. I have said last week that I did not want to get to dragged into speaking about leading the team out for the first time at Hampden and having a chance of lifting a trophy. Obviously you visualise things like that when you are made captain, I am sure every captain does. I am more disappointed for the boys. They are an honest bunch and put so much into the club.

“As an honest group, we know ourselves we didn't hit our heights today. But we will bounce back and be back.

“I'm gutted, but I am sure for this club and for this team there will be many days like this in the future. Especially with the manager we have, because he believes in the cups and doing well in the cups.

“We said at the start of the season that our aim was to try and get to the cup finals. We have done one and had
a disappointment but there is still the Scottish Cup and big games coming up in the league.

“We are just about to go into December and we have eight fixtures that month. It is in the New Year when your season shapes up and you see how you are doing in the league. We have got ourselves to this cup final. Okay, we have had a disappointment but we now look to get as many points on the board as possible.”

Adam Rooney

“We came here confident and looking to win the game and pick up a winner’s medal but today we didn’t perform like we could have done, it’s just disappointing.”

“Today they took their chances, unfortunately we didn’t do that and I thought we should have been more clinical at the other end ourselves.

“Obviously they were two goals up but second half, we started off well and had them on the back foot and then they got the penalty and that’s the end of the game really.”

“I wouldn’t say we have a mental block playing against Celtic, we’ve run them close in the past, we’ve beaten them different kinds of ways but today it wasn’t to be.”

“Obviously we’re disappointed and I’m sure all the fans are as well. It’s disappointing we didn’t get a couple of goals and make it a closer game today. It was a great display (from the supporters), it lifted all the lads but there’s not much we can do now.

“We just have to improve on this and have a good season from here on in.”