Mats Knoester ranks Aberdeen Scottish Cup win above league title joy and reveals 'fast' contract extension decision
Mats Knoester admitted lifting the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen will live with him forever and was a money can't buy experience.
The Dutchman had previously won the league with Ferencvaros but reckons ending 35 years of Dons' frustration made this one even bigger. Knoester made the perfect start to his Pittodrie career, as within five months he had helped Jimmy Thelin 's side to beat Celtic and deliver their first trophy in 11 years.
The enormity of it all didn't hit him until he saw the Granite City turn into a sea of red and white as it celebrated their Scottish Cup homecoming. Knoester said: 'It is hard to describe in a few words, it has been amazing. '
'The expectations of a lot of people were not high, but in the team you felt we believed in it and then to see everybody explode, the city and the stadium was amazing.
'You could feel it was very big at the game but maybe a bit more after. Also, the days after the parade almost everybody was out. I didn't know so many people were living in Aberdeen because the streets were full.
'You can definitely see that it means a lot and it is so nice. You can't buy that experience. It has to be in a club, like the soul of the club. It is an experience for life.'
Knoester admitted why his Aberdeen medal edges out his Hungarian success. He claimed: 'A trophy is always nice, but the way of winning the trophies was different.
'At Ferencvaros, there is an expectation that you have to win it. That is a whole different experience and there was pressure all season because it was a league. This was a cup and it was a few games.
'The emotions after winning the Scottish Cup meant a lot more. That was logical because it had been 35 years.
'Ferencvaros it has been six years in a row. I am not going to downgrade the trophy in Hungary because it was my first and special, but this one was a different type of trophy and different emotion. It was very special.'
The 26-year-old was rewarded over the summer with a contract extension until the summer of 2029. He admitted it was an easy decision. The Aberdeen star confirmed: 'I was quite fast that we agreed.
'I had a good half year with a great ending, of course. If I take that away and look at how I got here and was welcomed, for me and my family, it has been really good. There weren't a lot of things to agree on the contract.'
Knoester is back at it, as the Dons prepare to get going again in their pre-season training camp in Portugal. He stated: 'It is good to get started again. The break was important as well, I am not going to lie. It was good to get a good rest but I am ready to get going again.
'It is good to know everybody better and it is good to get to know the new boys. It is intense but you need to do it to get to know each other as quickly as possible.'
Aberdeen have already brought in Nicolas Milanovic, Nick Suman, Kusini Yengi and Emmanuel Gyamfi. Manager Thelin is an important factor in getting his squad to gel.
Knoester confirmed: 'He is a good people person. I enjoy working with him. Also, not all his meetings are about football. They are about life and the philosophy that can also bring a team together.
'There is also more important stuff, more than football and tactics to bring a team together or to get an understanding with each other. It has been a good cooperation with me, the team and Aberdeen.'
It is about gearing up for a fast start, with some big opening challenges in the Premiership and in their Europa League qualifier.
They open up away to Hearts and host Celtic before they play their European play-off games, which will determine whether it is group stage football in the Europa League or the Conference.
Knoester can call on his own group stage experience at Ferencvaros. 'It is really nice,' Knoester, speaking to RedTV, insisted. 'I have played there and now I have the chance to play Europa League games again.
'It is very nice for me and everybody else at the club. It is a big thing to play in Europe and it is an amazing stage to show as a club and individuals. It is a great thing to add to Aberdeen for this season.'
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