Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin opens up on secret chats with Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of Scottish Cup final with Celtic
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SIR ALEX FERGUSON has been advising Jimmy Thelin on how to handle his first Scottish Cup final.
The Swede will experience the Hampden showpiece when his side face Celtic on Saturday.
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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin greets Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Credit: PA
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Alex Ferguson attend the UEFA Europa League Final
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Aberdeen have been on the wrong end of some heavy defeats to Celtic
Credit: PA
And he knows there's no one better to hear from than the legendary former Dons gaffer.
Fergie won the trophy four times during his eight-year stint at Pittodrie — and the Dons have lifted it only once in 39 years since he left for Manchester United in 1986.
Thelin knows he could make history by ending the Dons' 35-year wait for the world's oldest football trophy.
And while he embraces the links to the past, the challenge is for his team to create a chapter of their own.
Thelin revealed: 'Sir Alex has been in touch and I have had some advice.
"He's a really nice gentleman and it's good to talk to him sometimes.
'It would be nice to follow in his footsteps.
'You can always use history in different ways, but you can't carry the weight from the past.
'You have to try to create a new story and focus on this.
'That's what it was then and it was incredible, but we are trying to push for a good future.
'That's why we said we're trying to build a stronger team for every season and nothing has changed there.
Awkward moment Andy Halliday left hanging by Jimmy Thelin after Aberdeen v Motherwell handshakes
'Now, in this moment, we are in the final in the first year and we're going to try to do something good with the time we have here.'
Thelin, his family and friends are well aware of the Cup's importance and what it means to lift it.
He's been inundated with messages of support from back home in Sweden.
He said: 'The Scottish Cup is the oldest competition, that's what people know. They think it's an amazing moment.
'Everybody, of course, is wishing me luck and our players luck.
'It's easy to take things for granted. It's eight years since we were in the Scottish Cup final.
'You can end up in the final, but you can't promise things. We can't do more than the best we can do and hopefully that's going to help us win it.
'We know we have a really good opponent, but a final is a final.'
Several Dons could make their final appearances, with Jack MacKenzie set to depart for England.
Loan stars Kevin Nisbet, Oday Dabbagh, Alfie Dorrington and Jeppe Okkels will also move back to their parent clubs.
But with legendary status dangling in front of them, Thelin has urged them to grab it.
He said: 'It can be the last opportunity for some.
'So many things happen in a team in one year.
'I saw videos from my first weeks here and it's incredible how much has happened. Even players who have come and left, it's a lot and it's gone so quick.
'Don't take things for granted because football is quite a long career, but it's also a short one. You never know what's happening in the future.
'Sometimes you get injuries, sometimes you go to another club that is really good but can't have this level to reach finals.
'So catch this moment, that's the message.'
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