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“I think everyone at the club and everyone in the city is looking forward to the game on Thursday.

“I feel you need to get to this round in Europe, maybe not to make it worthwhile but for the fact it sets up the whole season. If you go out in the early rounds, then you have four or five weeks before the season starts without competitive games. Hopefully we can use the experience of the last couple of years to help us in this tie.

“It was hard last year when I got the injury and then had to sit and watch the European games. Nothing compares with taking part in these games and playing your part in helping the team.

“It is massive for me to be back involved in these big nights and hopefully we can push on and go one round further.

“We have sat and watched Maribor in great detail. We know their strengths and we know their weaknesses. We know they are a good team. You don’t get to this round in Europe without being strong team. They have got a European pedigree and have been here before and done it. They have been in the group stages of the Europa League and the Champions League.

“But we have always just worried about our own game and worried about ourselves. On the night if we turn up and it is the right Aberdeen and we are in the right mind set then we can more than do a job and be confident we can get the result we need.

“Having played some good team over the past couple of years, and answered up to what they have offered, we know that in these games you need to turn up on the night and turn up in both ties. It is no use just turning up for 45 minutes or even 90 minutes. You have to put in two very good performances.

“In the last couple of rounds we have upped our performances and we have been getting stronger and stronger and the manager has worked out what players are best suited for what he wants to do. We have grown in strength and we have grown in confidence and we are looking forward to this game. We are going into knowing if we perform well we are confident we can get a result.

“Stepping up a level involves a lot of different things but the main thing is knowing you need to perform or you are going to get punished.

“The mind set has to be right as well.

“It should be like that for every game and luckily enough at this club nine times out of ten we have always approached the games right. In games like this though everyone has to go that extra yard as the small percentages make all the difference.

“You have to make sure all the little things are tipped in our favour.”

“You have to make sure all the little things are tipped in our favour.”