Graeme Shinnie admits it is ‘exciting’ for Aberdeen to have guaranteed European football through to Christmas.
The Dons sealed the prize of a Europa League play-off by clinching third place in the Premiership last season, and know they have the safety net of the Conference League groups if they lose that tie.
It was one of the factors that helped entice Shinnie back to Pittodrie on a permanent deal this summer after he had returned to his old club on loan in the latter half of last term.
The Reds were last in the group stages of Europe in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup when they secured progress to the round of 32 before losing to Bayern Munich.
They failed to get beyond the third qualifying round during Shinnie’s first stint in the north-east and the Scotland internationalist is thrilled to have the chance to better that in the coming campaign.
He said: “I’m looking forward to the new season massively.
“The last time I was here, it was always a big ambition of ours to try to get through to the group stages.
“It was very tough back then, we had a lot of tough games. I think it was four ties before you actually made it in, so it was tough.
“But to have guaranteed Conference League group stages is exciting.
“We’ve got the game to get into the Europa League, which we’re looking forward to. But, [in] the worst case, we’ve got the group stages.
“It’s an exciting challenge for the club and it’s something that will be different and a different test for the squad.
“But it’s one we’re looking forward to.”
Shinnie first joined Aberdeen from Inverness Caley Thistle in 2015 and reached three cup finals and finished runners-up to Celtic in the Premiership on three occasions in his four years with the club.
After then spending three years with Derby County and a season with Wigan Athletic, the 31-year-old admits he always hoped he would make it back to the Dons.
He added to Sky Sports: “It was tough when I moved away from here. I was very settled and I was very happy, and it’s a club that I love, so it was a tough decision back then [to leave].
“I always had a vision in the back of my mind of coming back. I just didn’t really know when it would be.
“I maybe didn’t see it coming as quickly as it has. But it was something that I missed very much.
“And, especially having the taster for it in the loan I had at the end of last season, it was somewhere I was desperate to be back at.
“So, I’m delighted to be back and looking forward to the season ahead.”
