Barry Robson urged his Aberdeen players not to be left with the same sort of cup regrets he has been carrying for the best part of a decade.
Robson was in the Dons side which ended a 19-year trophy drought in March 2014 when they won the League Cup by beating Inverness in a penalty shoot-out at Celtic Park following a goalless draw.
Around 43,000 Red Army fans enjoyed the club’s first major trophy win since 1995 but the former Celtic and Scotland midfielder believes Aberdeen should have won the cup double that season and remains irked that they lost 2-1 to St Johnstone in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup at Ibrox the following month.
Ahead of the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Hibernian at Hampden Park on Saturday, Robson, who believes his side are “in a good place” following a 4-2 Scottish Premiership win over Motherwell at Fir Park on Wednesday night, looked back at his solitary medal with the Granite City club and said: “The biggest frustration I always had – I should have won the other cup.
“It is terrible to think like that. When you win a cup, the first time in 20 years for Aberdeen, it is terrible to think like that.
“But every time I go back to that (winning the cup) the first thought in my mind is we should have won the other cup. We should have had two.
“St Johnstone beat us at Ibrox and Stevie May scored. I remember coming in after the game and I said to Russell (Anderson) and Willo (Flood) that it was the players’ fault. It was our fault.
“We had an argument before Derek McInnes (then boss) came in. It was frustrating, we never turned up on the day and did the things we were getting asked to do.
“You don’t want to have that regret. If you bring your best performance and everything we are trying to tell them, they have a real chance if they stick to that.
Aberdeen beat Ross County to reach the League Cup semi-finals
“Obviously we would love to get back there (final) again.
“Money doesn’t matter – obviously it does – but when you look back on your career, see that feeling you get when you win something and you are with all your team-mates, it is a feeling you will never replace, ever.
“If someone brings up Tommy Burns (the late Celtic assistant manager and manager), I remember when we won the league that year (2008) or when Aberdeen winning the League Cup and 43,000 fans, which shows you the size of Aberdeen Football Club and the fan base that is there, those things stay with you for life.
“It is there for the players and that is the most important thing when you retire.”