Aberdeen midfielder Willo Flood believes the Dons should not undersell themselves in the race for the Premiership title.

The Irishman, hoping to win his way into Derek McInnes's side after three months out with a serious hamstring injury, reckons the Reds can edge their way to a league triumph if they can stick close to Celtic right to the split in mid-April.

After that, he insisted, everything's up for grabs.

And the former Dundee United player said he saw how warty the Hoops are of Aberdeen when the sides met at Pittodrie last November when he limped off injured and Virgil Van Dijk hit a last-minute goal to snatch a win for Ronny Deila's men.

Flood, who hopes to play a part in his team's crucial league game against Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park today, was adamant the Dons could finish the season on top.

"We need to make sure we can stay with Celtic all the way to the split," he said.

"If we can stay with them then let's have a go. Let's try and win it.

"There's a belief there. Why not?

"Out of the last 33 points we've taken 29. If we keep that form up and don't challenge then we'll have to put our hands up and say Celtic were just too good.

"But if we stick to that form I don't see why we can't challenge them.

"If we can get to the split and we're within four to six points then it's game on.

"We'll have to play them and games at Tannadice or Inverness will be tough for them.

"We have to think that if we get within four to six points going into the split, we can challenge.

"If it's more than that, we're maybe struggling."

The ex-Cardiff City player, taken from Celtic to Middlesbrough by manager Gordon Strachan, the man who signed him for the Hoops, said he became aware that Deila's side might be scared of what the Dons could achieve this season at the end of that win for the Parkhead side at Pittodrie last November.

The visitors, he was knew, were relieved to have taken the points that day.

He said: "They recognise [we're challengers] all right.

"When they beat us 2-1 in the game I got injured, with the celebrations after it, you'd thought they'd won the league here.

"For me, it was a bit overboard.

"I thought: 'Wow, you obviously think we're putting up a challenge here.'

"They obviously fear us a little bit. They can say what they want in the press, they can say if they do this or that then they'll win the league.

"But for me, out here at Pittodrie, Scott Brown was celebrating in the tunnel as if they'd won the league that day.

"I thought, 'Yeah, they fear us, so let's have a go.'"

"If we play to our potential we can take them all the way.

"I don't know if we'll finish above them, but we can definitely have a go at it."