Celtic captain Scott Brown says beaten Scottish Cup finalists Aberdeen have proven they are the second force in Scottish football.
Rangers were tipped by most to be the closest challengers to Celtic this season on their return to the top flight, but it was Dons who came closest to preventing the Hoops claiming only the fourth domestic treble in their history.
Tom Rogic’s goal gave Brendan Rodgers’ side victory in a dramatic and action-packed Scottish Cup final on Saturday.
Brown celebrated towards the Dons support at full time but paid tribute to Derek McInnes’ side afterwards.
He said: “I was getting a bit of stick from the Aberdeen supporters but you have got to expect that.
“We have managed to beat Aberdeen six times this season.
“This was the hardest game we have had against them. Aberdeen are a great team and they have pushed us all the way in both cups and the league as well.
“They deserve to be in cup finals and they deserve to be in second place.”
The Dons looked well capable of causing an upset during an excellent first-half display but went in level at the break after Jonny Hayes’ opener was cancelled out by Stuart Armstrong.
But as the game wore on, the Dons defence was pushed deeper and eventually the Celtic pressure finally told as Rogic weaved past Anthony O’Connor and Andy Considine to score the winning goal.
Brown said: “I think we showed our fitness. When we went one goal down we didn’t let our heads go down, we kept believing.
“In the second half we controlled the game. They created a couple of chances but so did we.
“Aberdeen gave it everything but luckily enough for us we got the last-minute winner.
“I was getting ready for extra-time when Tom scored.
“People say he is not the fittest and I know he came on as a substitute for Kieran Tierney in the first half, but he showed his fitness to have so much energy to be running at defenders and finishing like that with his bad foot in the last minute to put us in the history books.
“To be the captain of a team that has won the treble and gone the whole season unbeaten is a great feeling.
“I am very proud of what we have achieved throughout this whole season.”