Neil Simpson, one of Aberdeen’s most decorated players, says that the Dons can win the Premiership title this season, and that Derek McInnes will be using John Collins’ now infamous remarks to fire up his players.

‘Simmy’ racked up an incredible list of honours during his time at Pittodrie in the early eighties, and he sees a similar sort of belief around the Granite City for the first time since those heady days under Sir Alex Ferguson.

He now believes that Aberdeen can push Celtic a lot closer in the Premiership title race than the seventeen point gap they managed to restrict the Hoops' winning margin to last season.

Simpson said: “We can definitely compete.

“You go into the league hoping you can get as many points as possible. We know that Celtic have got a much bigger budget than we do, but it’s down to your performances.

“Our record against all the other teams last year was the same as Celtic’s, it was only the games against them that proved decisive in the league championship really.

“So we’ll need to do better in those games, and also keep the consistency they had last year as well.

“The first team have been really good over the last two or three years, and have moved on to another level in terms of performances, and it was brilliant to win the League Cup for our first silverware in years.

“I thought we were unlucky in the cups last year and we should do better in them this time around, and if we can keep tabs on Celtic, I think we’ll go even closer this year.

“In the area you see a lot of kids with Aberdeen tops on, which is really great to see in the north-east.”

Simpson believes that Celtic’s draw with Kilmarnock on Wednesday night will have done little to douse the self-belief spreading like wildfire amongst the Pittodrie faithful.

He also thinks that Celtic assistant manager John Collins’ apparently disparaging words about the rest of the teams in Scotland’s top flight will be used by Derek McInnes to fire up his troops, whether they have been taken out of context or not.

Kilmarnock winger Kallum Higginbotham has already said that the supposed barbs from the Parkhead number two inspired him as he stuck away the cheeky last-minute penalty that earned the Rugby Park men a share of the spoils.

“I thought Kilmarnock and Celtic played some good stuff,” Simpson said.

“But there was very little in it in terms of chances created, so I think it was good for everybody in the league to see that if you put a bit of pressure on Celtic then you can get a result.

“[The remarks] are something that a manager would use, and Alex Ferguson used to use these sorts of things all the time.

“I’m sure what John Collins said probably got taken out of context, but if everybody uses it as motivation then it’s only good for the league.

“Everybody wants to see a more competitive league, and it’s great to see Hearts coming back up and starting so well too.

“We want to see that sort of thing on a regular basis.”

Now head of Aberdeen’s youth academy, the club legend from Newmachar is tasked with overseeing the development of the next generation of local lads, and those from further afield, looking to make it big at Pittodrie.

He said: “I think the professionalism right from the youth players when they come in through to the first-team has improved enormously, everybody is totally working together to be more professional in their approach, their diet, and in the analysis of performances.

“All these things go towards getting a winning result at the weekend.

“The under-20s won the league last year, and twenty-two of the players came through the academy.

“So that shows that there is strength in depth, and we have quality young players who are getting international recognition as well.

“So we’re hoping that in the next few years they will be players that will be able to make an impact in the first-team squad as well.”

Simpson is looking forward to watching two of his former clubs battle it out at Fir Park tomorrow, with the Dons travelling to face Motherwell as they look to keep pace in the early stages at the top of the Premiership.

Whilst he believes it may be a tight affair, he is sure that Aberdeen can get the type of win they will require if they are to sustain a title challenge.

“I think that Aberdeen look much stronger on paper than Motherwell,” he said.

“But I know that Motherwell have a great work ethic and it’s very difficult when you go to Fir Park to play Motherwell to come away with a win.”