Veteran winger Jonny Hayes hopes he can help club chairman Dave Cormack realise his dream of transforming Aberdeen into a Uefa top-100 club.
The Dons currently sit 196th in the Uefa club coefficients list on 6.500 points.
Cormack’s mission statement to break into the top 100 could receive a major boost this season with the Dons competing in the Europa Conference League group stage.
It is the first time the Pittodrie club have graced the group stage of a European competition since the 2007-08 Uefa Cup.
Aberdeen kick-off their group G campaign with a daunting trip to play German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night.
The Dons travel to Frankfurt in the midst of a dismal run of form, failing to win any of their first five Scottish Premiership games.
Europa League champions in 2022, Eintracht Frankfurt are ranked 26th in the Uefa club coefficients rankings.
Hayes insists all his focus is on turning around the Dons’ alarming slump in form by shocking Frankfurt at the 58,000-capacity Deutsche Bank Park.
However, if he can help the Dons edge closer to Cormack’s elite 100 target, he’ll be “delighted”.
Hayes said: “If we do well and make the top 100, I’ll be happy for the chairman.
“If he has a goal and an aim for the club and we can help achieve it, I’ll be delighted for him.
“However, I have no idea what a top-100 club entails.
“For me, it’s a simple job of training hard and trying to win games.”
‘I would like to think we can compete’
Aberdeen are the lowest-ranked club contesting the Conference League’s group G.
Greek club PAOK are ranked 67, firmly in the top 100 where Cormack wants the Dons to be a permanent fixture.
HJK Helsinki, of Finland, are ranked 147th.
With European group stage action looming, Aberdeen boss Barry Robson completed a major squad overhaul with 13 new signings in the summer transfer window.
The new-look squad have yet to deliver, with just one win from eight games in all competitions this season.
Aberdeen fans made their frustrations clear when booing the team after the 2-0 loss at Hearts at the weekend.
Despite the dismal form, Hayes remains confident the Dons are strong enough to cope with balancing domestic and European demands in the months ahead.
He said: “The numbers we’ve got will certainly handle Thursday-Sunday up until Christmas at least.
“I know you can’t turn up and play well every game, but we’ve brought real quality into the building.
“We’ve got quantity and quality.
“Some of the new lads like Nicky Devlin have settled quickly, but I’m in no doubt the squad is in a good place.
“I would like to think we can compete.”
Chairman Cormack’s Hacken draw celebrations reflected bonds at Pittodrie
Despite the upheaval of a summer rebuild, Hayes insists there is a strong camaraderie within the revamped Dons squad.
He believes that unity flows throughout the club and can drive Aberdeen in their Conference League group campaign.
For proof of the togetherness and bond at the club, Hayes points to the reaction of chairman Cormack at full-time against BK Hacken in Gothenburg.
Cormack ran on to the pitch to celebrate the Dons battling back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with the Swedish club in the Europa League play-off first leg.
Aberdeen would lose the return 3-1 at Pittodrie to drop into the Conference League groups.
Hayes said: “The bond here is brilliant.
“Everyone at the club knows each other and the players get to know all the staff.
“Players are welcomed as if they have been here a long time 0 even if it means fining them for leaving their flip flops.
“It takes a good environment when you have 25 players and only 11 can play.
“I would imagine when we scored the equaliser in Hacken all the players and staff were up celebrating.
“Even the chairman was down there at full-time.
“I’d love for him to have had a GPS on because he moved at some pace to get there.
“That’s the environment we’ve always tried to have in this football club. There’s a real togetherness.
“Everyone wants to play, but, even if you don’t play, you want your team-mates to do well.”
Hayes relishing the demands of Euro action
Hayes is the most experienced Euro campaigner in the Aberdeen squad.
The veteran has racked up 39 appearances on the continental stage for the Dons and Celtic.
Although 36, he is relishing the demands of Euro games on Thursday followed by Sunday domestic action.
He said: “I love playing football.
“When you are playing Thursday-Sunday it is enjoyable as you get to switch off for two or three days.
“Training takes care of itself in that you are programmed to do what the manager tells you.
“At Celtic, we had games like Valencia and Lazio – big clubs you don’t get to play too often.
“It’s big games and brilliant to be involved in.”
Conversation