Aberdeen will turn to Scott Brown’s unrivalled European experience in the bid to stun group stage regulars Qarabag in Azerbaijan.
Veteran midfielder Brown, 36, is set to make his 136th European appearance when leading out the Dons in the Europa Conference League play-off first leg in Baku.
Brown is the only Scottish player to hit the century mark in continental action and boss Stephen Glass believes that experience will be vital to hopes of reaching the group stage.
The former Celtic captain has racked up 82 appearances in the Champions League, 45 in the Uefa Cup/Europa League and four in the Intertoto Cup.
This season he has already added four in Conference League qualifying with the Dons.
With the temperature set to be in excess of 30 degress at kick-off in Baku on Thursday, the Dons face a Qarabag side which has qualified for the group stages of Europe in each of the last seven seasons.
Crucially Brown has previously secured a result away to Qarabag when drawing 0-0 in Baku in the Champions League third qualifying round second leg with Celtic in 2015.
Celtic progressed having won the first leg 1-0 at Parkhead.
Glass said: “Scott’s experience is invaluable.
“He has played more European games than a lot of our players have played games, which I think says a lot.
“His quality is unbelievable and continues to be, as does his work rate.
“We knew what we were getting with Scott, but nights like the one against Breidablik (2-1 win at Pittodrie) really showed it.”
Only Scot to have hit the 100 Euro mark
Brown’s European career spans 17 years having first tasted continental action with Hibs in the Intertoto Cup in 2004.
Since then the influential midfielder has faced European big guns like Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Juventus and Manchester United.
That is experience in Europe of a level no other Scottish player has, having long eclipsed the previous record of 82 European appearances, set by former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson.
Aberdeen secured that wealth of knowledge and experience for free in the summer after Brown rejected a new contract at Parkhead to sign a two-year deal with the Dons in a player-coach role.
As the Dons bid to reach the group stages of Europe for the first time since the UEFA Cup in 2007, Brown’s leadership, knowledge, game management, drive and ability to control the tempo of games, particularly in the oppressive heat, will be vital.
Brown’s influence on Aberdeen is clear
The former Scotland captain’s influence on Aberdeen has been underlined already this season.
In the last two domestic games, Glass has rested the veteran in preparation for European action on the Thursday.
In his absence, Aberdeen struggled to get a result in both.
Manager Glass made six changes to the starting line-up for the Premiership trip to Livingston and were 1-0 down when Brown was introduced as a substitute late in the first half.
When Brown entered the play, Aberdeen looked more cohesive and dangerous.
The Reds ultimately won 2-1, but the three points were only secured courtesy of a horrendous blunder by Livingston keeper Max Stryjek deep into injury time.
Again Brown was rested in one of seven changes to the starting XI for the League Cup second round tie with Raith Rovers.
The Reds were 1-0 up at half-time and appeared to be coasting into the next round.
However, when Raith Rovers upped their intensity and press the Reds’ control of the game evaporated.
Brown was introduced at 1-1 with 20 minutes remaining, but Raith netted what would be the winner within a minute of his introduction before the skipper had even touched the ball.
135 games, 8,346 minutes in Europe… and counting
Brown has amassed a remarkable 8,346 minutes of European action during his career.
His first Euro appearance came in a 1-1 draw with Lithuanian side Vetra in the Intertoto cup in July 2004.
Brown became the first Scottish player to hit the century mark in European appearances in a 1-1 draw with AEK Athens at Parkhead in August 2018.
- Champions League: Games 34, 2,939 minutes played
- Champions League Qualifiers : Games 49, 4,340 minutes played.
- Europa League: Games 36, 2,895 minutes played
- Europa League Qualifiers: Games 8, 681 minutes played
- UEFA Cup: Games 1, 61 minutes played.
- Intertoto Cup: 4 Games, 360 minutes played
- Europa Conference League: Games 4, 360 minutes played
Brown’s extensive experience shone through in the Conference League third qualifying round second leg when the veteran dictated play in the Pittodrie defeat of Breidablik as Aberdeen moved closer to the target of the lucrative group stages.
Brown also got in the minds of the Breidablik players and management staff.
In the aftermath of the 2-1 win over the Icelanders at Pittodrie, Breidablik manager Oskar Hrafn Thorvaldsson labelled the Dons team captain an ‘acclaimed bully’.
Thorvaldsson also claimed Brown and keeper Joe Lewis attempted to barge into his side’s dressing room following the Europa Conference League tie at Pittodrie.
There was no mention of the alleged incident in the referee’s match report.
🏴 🧙♂️#StandFree | @RyanHedges95 pic.twitter.com/zPonlVoqhW
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) August 12, 2021
In Aberdeen’s biggest European tie since the UEFA Cup clash with Bayern Munich in 2008, Glass will call on Brown’s vast experience in continental football.
Glass said: “You saw in that game (Breidablik) a guy that can control a team.
“It gets a little bit noisy and it is difficult to get your messages on.
“When there is a member of your staff right in the middle of the pitch doing that, it is invaluable.
“I think that is maybe why Breidablik got a little frustrated, because they might never have played against a player like Scott before.”