Former Aberdeen captain Russell Anderson has backed his club to do their bit and beat Hibernian as the race for Europe with Kilmarnock goes to the final day of the Premiership season.
With the two clubs level on goal difference, the Dons travel to Easter Road on Sunday knowing they must better Killie’s result against Rangers at Rugby Park if they are to finish in third place.
Anderson said: “I think Aberdeen have every chance of winning at Easter Road. I always enjoyed playing there as it is a good stadium to play in and we have a good record there. Hibs have improved since their manager came in and they will be confident but I fancy our chances down there. What Kilmarnock do is out of their hands but it’s still all to play for.
“I’m not surprised to see the team at the top end of the league challenging for a European place. The competition has been better this season. Rangers have improved but having said that our record against them has been pretty good.
“Kilmarnock have shown themselves to be a very good team under Steve Clarke too and it is a more competitive environment. There have been some disappointing results but the team has recovered pretty well and they are in with a shout going into the last game of the season and if they can finish third it will be another good season.”
A third-place finish is the aim for Derek McInnes and his players but fourth place will be enough to secure a Europa League place if Celtic win the Scottish Cup on May 25 and former Dons captain Anderson, now assistant manager of Highland League club Formartine United, is confident the Hoops will win the treble for the third season in a row.
He said: “I would expect Celtic to win the cup. They were not at the races on Sunday against Rangers but I would expect they will turn up at the cup final and I would expect them to beat Hearts.”
Anderson was speaking at the third annual Russell Anderson Development School festival of football and sporting activities at Riverbank Primary School yesterday.
More than 400 Primary 2 pupils from the St Machar catchment area came together to take part in fun sessions and Anderson is delighted to see the initiative he launched seven years ago, continue to grow in popularity.
He said: “We’ve managed to squeeze everyone in here which is not easy considering the numbers have grown again. If we keep going the way we’re going we’ll need to find a new home for the festival.
“Riverbank has been very accommodating and the weather has been fantastic every time we’ve done this, and we’ve been really lucky again.
Fun in the sun at Riverbank Primary School?????????? pic.twitter.com/gOmVaYZ3V2
— RussellAndersonDevSc (@RADevSchool) May 14, 2019
“It’s something different for the children, getting on a bus, getting away from school and going somewhere else, and of course the weather really helps.
“The long term goal of the programme is to try to improve and increase the fitness levels and general health and wellbeing of the kids in areas which are recognised as socially deprived.
“The (Scottish) Government has a target of every child having access to two hours of quality physical education every week and we’re working towards that with the school.
“There is a lot of anecdotal evidence from teachers on the positive impact this had had on the children’s behaviour and their work in the classroom.”