AS THE final whistle blew at Hampden on Saturday, moments after Tom Rogic had scored the goal that had clinched the treble for Celtic, you may have thought their captain’s immediate reaction would be to make a beeline to join his own supporters who were in the throes of rapturous celebration.

Instead, Scott Brown stood motionless in front of the Aberdeen supporters with three fingers raised to the sky, signifying Celtic’s trophy haul for the season and coincidentally, the number of competitions in which they have edged out Aberdeen into the runners-up position.

Some among the devastated red army may have taken that act as more of a two-finger salute, but for the equally crestfallen Dons winger Jonny Hayes, there were no hard feelings.

Read more: Gordon: Playing my part in an invincible Celtic treble is best achievement of my careerThe Herald: Aberdeen's Jonny Hayes celebrates his goal in front of the Celtic fans. Picture: SNS

Frankly, he was too concerned with the fact that his Scottish Cup dream had died in the cruellest of circumstances to worry too much about what anyone in green and white were doing.

“It’s a cup final and an emotional game and sometimes fans forget that players can get emotional too,” Hayes said.

“Brownie gets a bit of stick from Aberdeen fans - and a load of other fans - but he won the cup and earned the right to celebrate however he wants.

“I would never grudge anyone celebrating, especially a cup final. I caught the back end of it but I was too busy in a daze with what had just happened.

“They’ve had a great season so he can celebrate as he wants. Players are just as passionate, if not more, than fans. Football brings you the highest of highs and lowest of lows and the two dressing rooms at full time would have told you that.

“Sometimes it’s hard to fathom for people on the outside just how much it does mean to players out on that pitch and how much silverware can change your life.

Read more: Gordon: Playing my part in an invincible Celtic treble is best achievement of my career

“They had a big thing going for the treble to put them right up with the greatest teams in their history so there was a lot riding on the game and if a little bit of emotion spilled over then I’m sure everyone can understand.”

As magnanimous as Hayes was deep in the bowels of Hampden after a pulsating showpiece final, there was no disguising the pain that Rogic’s 92nd minute gut-punch had inflicted upon the flying winger.

“It was a kick in the teeth to concede so late,” he admitted. “The lads were just getting mentally prepared for extra time because Celtic had been on top for 15 minutes.

“We had to ride a wave of attacks and if the game had gone to extra time we would have been looking to kick on again. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking it was going to extra time but a moment of quality won them the cup.

“There wasn’t enough time to get back into it. We had to go route one and put the big boys up front and it almost came off but conceding so late didn’t give us time to change tactics.

“It’s been a long old season and I had a bit of a tight hamstring but I didn’t want to come off with it being a cup final so I was patched up and got on with it.

“It’s a one-off game and the biggest in the calendar so you need to leave everything on the pitch. The manager told us not to come off with regrets and we certainly did after the League Cup final.

“It’s hard to look on any positive spin right now but in the next few days we might take a bit of credit and more confidence facing Celtic next season.”

Read more: Gordon: Playing my part in an invincible Celtic treble is best achievement of my career

How many of this Aberdeen squad are still around when that time comes though remains to be seen. With Ryan Jack, Ryan Christie, Niall McGinn and Peter Pawlett among those heading for the Pittodrie exit, and manager Derek McInnes attracting interest from Sunderland, it looks set to be a summer of upheaval in the north east.

“The manager can take credit from the way the team has improved every season he has been here and I’m sure it will be the same next year,” he said.

“We’ve got an honest enough changing room and if lads are moving on they’ll have told the manager so he can bring in better replacements.

“He’ll be in overtime now preparing for next season. He doesn’t have much time with the European games but he’s always had a thing about being the hard workest manager and making sure he has the hardest working players.

“If you see him day in, day out you realise he is hard working and I’ve never come across a manager who works as hard. I’m sure he’ll have replacements lined up.

“It’s a compliment to the job he’s done that he’s been linked with other clubs but there’s not a player that wouldn’t want him in charge when we come back in three or four weeks’ time.”