SHOW CELTS THEY WERE WRONG TO DUMP YOU
GRAEME SHINNIE last night backed Gary Mackay-Steven to kick on from his scintillating display against Hibs and show former club Celtic he is reborn.
The Aberdeen winger bagged a hat-trick in Saturday’s 4-1 rout of Neil Lennon’s side to move Dons within two points of the Hoops, who have a game in hand, at the Premiership summit.
Shinnie wants to make up for flopping in the last meeting with the six-in-a-row champions when the Reds were thumped 3-0 at Pittodrie in October. Derek McInnes takes his men to Parkhead on Saturday looking to end an eight-game losing streak against Celtic.
And in Mackay-Steven they have a player brimming with confidence and fuelled by a point to prove after leaving Celts in the summer.
The 27-year-old was signed by Ronny Deila three years ago but struggled to make any impact during an injury-plagued spell and was allowed to leave by Brendan Rodgers.
McInnes has always had belief in the former Dundee United winger and he showed why with his treble in a man-of-the-match display against Hibs.
Mackay-Steven has taken time to get going in the north east, not helped by his boozy night out in Glasgow where he was pulled from the River Kelvin and treated for hypothermia.
But he was red-hot on Saturday and Dons skipper Shinnie said: “Gaz was excellent and we know he has that in him. It is just trying to get it out of him more consistently. You saw what he can do. He has great feet, his trickery is brilliant and he deserved that hat-trick.
“He has maybe had a bit of a slow start and found it tougher but we have also seen what he can do.
“His finish at Easter Road was excellent, his goals on Saturday were brilliant and his confidence will be sky high now.
“Going back to your old team you want to prove a point and do well. Gaz will be no different but I don’t think that will play on his mind.
“He will want to do well for the team and keep his consistency up.”
Shinnie though insists the team must do better than the last meeting with Celtic when the Hoops strolled to victory.
Aberdeen are at least back on track following successive defeats against Rangers when there was speculation over McInnes going to Ibrox.
Shinnie said: “The confidence is high again after a tough week with the Rangers games.
“We came back and played well at Dens and McDiarmid Park and built on that on Saturday. It will be tough at Celtic Park but it is one we are relishing.
“The last game wasn’t great. We gave them too much of the ball and can’t afford to do that down there.
“We are all looking forward to it coming off this Hibs result.
“Celtic’s performances were brilliant last season and they have taken that into this season. But it is a game our whole squad will be looking forward to.
“They can be beaten as Hearts proved this weekend. We didn’t show that but plenty of other teams have shown it can be done.
“We always feel we have the squad to do it but it is easy saying that – you have to go out and do it.
“We didn’t do it last time but we want to go down there and do as well as we can. We want to stamp our authority and hopefully come out with the win.
“We just want to keep building on what we have done in the last three games. Confidence is high after we came through a rough spell. It is not going to be easy but we are in the right place going to Celtic Park.”
Gaz was excellent and it’s just trying to get it out of him more consistently GRAEME SHINNIE