Aberdeen defender Mark Reynolds wants his side to lay down a marker for next season by beating title winners Celtic tomorrow.
The newly-crowned champions will be looking to celebrate their fourth consecutive title at Pittodrie this weekend with a fourth win of the campaign against the Dons.
Derek McInnes’ Reds have managed to reduce the gap on Celtic to 11 points with three matches remaining, having finished the season 31 points the Hoops last term.
Reynolds wants his team-mates to prove they are ready to take the challenge to Ronny Deila’s men next season by spoiling their title party this weekend.
He said: “It is important to win regardless of the results we have had against Celtic.
“We pushed Celtic as far as we could and we have got a lot of credit for it but with three games left we have ultimately fallen short, but we still want to send out a message that we are still here and we are not going to go away.
“We will come back next season and we will try to push them even harder.”
The Dons have received plenty of praise for an excellent league campaign but Reynolds says the Reds are disappointed by their failure to take any points off the Hoops this season.
He said: “I don’t think we have turned up in most of these games and we haven’t shown the team we have been against the other sides.
“Ultimately, if we want to push them even further in the league then we need to start taking points off them.
“It has been the difference between the teams and there is work to be done.”
Reynolds, meanwhile, paid tribute to team-mate Russell Anderson following his decision to retire at the end of the season.
The 36-year-old will remain at the club in a corporate and commercial based role.
Reynolds said: “He thinks the time is right but it is disappointing to lose him from the dressing-room, but the good thing is that he is only going up the stairs.
“I will still be going to chew his ear and using all that experience he has.
“He will be missed in the dressing-room.”