Dons to hand new contract to semi-final hero

Ferguson to be rewarded

Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson is set to be rewarded for his Betfred Cup semi-final heroics with a new contract.

Ferguson headed home a late winner for the Dons in Sunday’s 1-0 win against Rangers at Hampden to set up a final against Celtic on December 2.

The 19-year-old has impressed since joining the Dons from Hamilton in the summer on a four-year contract and the Dons are set to enter into negotiations with the player over a new deal.

Ferguson and Dons team-mate Mikey Devlin, who was named man of the match for his display against Rangers, will line up against their former side Hamilton Accies for the first time at Pittodrie this evening.

Dons manager Derek McInnes said: “Both lads have rightly recognised the part Hamilton have played in their development.

“It was great that after the semi-final win Lewis mentioned the influence George Cairns (head of youth at Hamilton) had on him after being rejected by Rangers.

“It’s a great story for so many youngsters who are deemed not good enough and can be crestfallen after not making it somewhere.

“They can lose confidence in that situation but it shows that if people believe in you then you can go and find your level to bounce back.

“They are rightly proud of their part in their development.”

l The SPFL confirmed yesterday that the Dons will receive 20,000 tickets for the Betfred Cup final against Celtic with the Hoops receiving 25,000 tickets.

The Dons had “negotiated” 20,000 tickets on the basis of past attendance figures against Celtic in the 2016 League Cup final when 18,000 fans cheered on the Dons and the 2017 Scottish Cup final when 20,000 made the trip to Hampden.