Jack Milne on his Celtic feeling before completing Aberdeen rise from proud fan to Scottish Cup winner

The Dons' academy graduate was in the crowd as the triumphant Dons' team paraded the League Cup in 2014

Local lad Jack Milne admitted lifting the Scottish Cup and making history with Aberdeen made it the best day of his life.

It was a dream come true for the lifelong supporter who progressed through the academy and straight into the Pittodrie history books.

The 22-year-old was also an unlikely hero as he came in for his first start since December and played a key part as Jimmy Thelin went with a 3-5-2 formation for the first time that nullified Treble-chasing Celtic.

Milne said: “I honestly can’t put it into words. I’ve said already, it’s the best day of my life. It’s the club my family and I, all my friends, have grown up supporting. To go and win this, it’s just incredible.

“It means everything to all of us. We know the history of the club. It’s a massive club and that comes with responsibility and pressure.

“But pressure is a privilege – and we’ve turned up and made history.”

The versatile defender, who signed a new deal earlier this season, didn’t know he was starting until a few hours before kick-off.

But since then he has seen his friends and family savour Aberdeen’s first Scottish Cup win in 35 years on a weekend that culminated in the squad going down Union Street on an open-top bus on Sunday.

Milne had been on the streets as a fan and aspiring Dons youngster after Derek McInnes’ side lifted the club’s last trophy, the League Cup, in 2014.

He revealed: “Yes, I was there. I would have been in the academy. I was at the bus parade but I can’t remember too much about it.

“I officially knew I was starting on Saturday but I had a feeling all week. We did a lot of stuff on the shape, tactical stuff, and I was doing a lot of that so I had a bit of an inkling.

“We practised on it (a three-man defence) all week. He (the manager) said in the (earlier) meeting that we’re going to change it.

“I just saw the teamsheet. The feeling was just excitement. I just wanted to go and win the game, that was the most important thing. But putting on a good performance and to come away with the trophy, that was the best.”

Aberdeen were written off in most quarters but Milne’s hotel room was 100 per cent sure the Cup was going back to the Granite City.

He said :“I was sharing my room with Dante (Polvara) and I was just saying, ‘Look, this is our moment.’ All of us, every single player in there believed we could go and win.

“I know a lot of people didn’t, outside noise, thinking we were going to get turned over but we turned up and proved a point.

“It’s been an up-and-down season and we’ve taken some heavy defeats from Celtic. But even the heavy defeats, if you watch the game early, they could have gone either way.

“I remember the game at Celtic Park and we missed two, three golden chances early on and then we found ourselves 3-0 down.

“But it was one of those where we would soak up pressure, try to hit them on the counter and just take our chances.”

Milne was unable to see out the game because of cramp and didn’t want to be the villain of the piece.

He said: “Yes, cramp. It tends to happen. I haven’t played as much football recently and I was completely gone by the 90th minute.

“It was one of those, I kind of had to make a decision. I was thinking, ‘I’m not moving very quickly here.’ I was running like I was in quicksand So I just knew that was me done.”

It meant he had to watch the extra-time and penalties from the bench, struggling to see it out until Dimitar Mitov’s final save.

He laughed and said: “Horrible. I couldn’t stomach it. I felt sick. I couldn’t watch the penalties. I was looking at the floor, looking everywhere but the goal. I did see Dimi’s final save... between my fingers.

“It was a bit funny, trying to block my eyes, but I saw both of them. I think with him saving that first one it gave us a real boost and that was brilliant.”

There was the glory and a medal but also the added bonus of European group stage football to look forward to next season.

Milne got a taste of it two seasons ago, playing against sides such as Eintracht Frankfurt, and is keen for another go at it.

He said: “Delighted. It was our objective at the start of the season. I know we technically got European football with fifth place in the qualifiers.

“But to go and make sure we’re guaranteed Europe is special, that was our objective.”