Ahead of our return to Pittodrie on Friday night for our pre-season friendly with Ipswich Town, Dons midfielder Leighton Clarkson sat down with RedTV to speak Scottish Cup success, becoming a Father, past European experiences, another busy upcoming campaign, and much more.

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Scottish Cup Glory

“The final was a day to remember. The parade after also. The tactical plan was executed to perfection, and it was another one of the best days of my life.

“From the games we had played previously, we knew we had to do something different. Jimmy pulled us in on the Monday, and he gave us two plans. We stuck with plan A, even at 1-0 down, we stuck with it, and then we get Shayden and Pape on, fresh legs, and then we can go after them a bit in the final 20.

“We manage to get the goal, and I thought that in extra-time we were good, really good. We could have nicked it maybe. You need a bit of luck when you are playing Celtic, but I also thought that to a man, everyone was excellent.

“I would have been one of the five to take. Looking back, I am glad I never took one though, because the penalties were some of the best I have ever saw. When it went to pens, and I knew the five that were to step up, I had full confidence in them all.

“We had practised penalties the day before, and I don’t think Dimi saved one! I was glad they all stepped up, converted, and then gave us the Scottish Cup.

“On the videos it might look even better, the way he stops, and we all stop, and then we go again. It was a great save, and it won us the Scottish Cup.

“It is a family club, a lot of the club is based on history, and knowing that later down the line, once we are retired, we can look back on that moment, and we will all have that day that we shared. 35 years is a hell of a long time for this club to not win that trophy, so for us to have done it, and to give the fans the bragging rights, it is so special.

A turbulent 24/25

“We got off to a really good start as a team. I’ve never had a season like it, where we were doing so well, and then we had St Mirren, Hibs and Hearts, all away, and normally if you go there and get a point, it’s not the end of the world.

“We lost to St Mirren, and then we drew at Hibs and drew at Hearts. You take two points from nine, after the run we were on, it wasn’t the end of the world. But then we lost, and lost again, and that winning feeling never left us, but the more games that it went on for, it was like, what is happening here? It was something I can’t describe.

“We got through it and picked it up towards the end. But then again in the split, the Dundee United game for example, we are 1-0, cruising, and then we lose a goal and all hell breaks loose. You look at the table, and fifth isn’t where we wanted to be or should be after the start we had, but with the Scottish Cup win… I would have a season like that another 100 times.

“I had a bit of a tough start with the injury. The team was doing well, so it wasn’t a case of I knew I would go straight back into the team. It is going to be almost unchanged. I got myself back in, and then that was kind of when we went on the bad run!

“We had a lot of injuries. It was big injuries to big players, it was constant throughout the season. It was a rollercoaster season for the team, and it was a rollercoaster for me as well. It is just about trying to get that consistency now.

Leading

“I do see myself as a bit of a leader, that is something I take in my stride. Shinnie and Devlin are big vocal leaders, and I like to think I am in and around them. It is about helping the other lads, sometimes not being vocal is the right thing, sometimes it is just about helping them on the pitch. It is a good responsibility to have.

“I have always been vocal growing up in the Liverpool academy. I’m not the loudest, but I like to think I have really good information I can share with others, and I’ll tell people if they need to be told.

“When you have the likes of Shins and Devlin, they do a lot of the really loud part! Great leaders, that you want to play under. Mats as well, straight away, you can hear him from a mile away, and Sivert as well, oh my god… he never shuts up on the pitch, but again, you need these players. When you are having a bad day, these are the boys that pick you up.

European football

“I think you can tell with the way Jimmy recruits we will have a bigger squad in Europe than last time. We did alright in Europe last time, but it was the Sundays afterwards that we struggled with. It’s our job as footballers to take each game as it comes, and to try and win as many as we can, in Europe and in the league.

“They were all good teams we played last time in Europe. They were also good experiences: the fans, the atmospheres, a lot of the boys won’t have played in those type of games, I certainly hadn’t, but that is something we can take into this season, and hopefully it’s something we can do better.

“The European stage is maybe why a lot of players want to come here, to play in Europe, and have people around the world watching. It is a big stage, its European football, and if we can do well in that as a club, it benefits everybody.

The fans

“What’s not to be happy about when you are playing for Aberdeen? A big club, great fans, and with the Cup win everyone is on a high, and we need to take that into the season.

“I think you need to keep the fans onside as much as possible. When it’s good it’s really good, and if you make Pittodrie a fortress it is a tough, tough place for teams to come.