Keeper Kelle Roos watched Aberdeen’s Darvel disaster unfold from his own home and felt the agony of his team-mates.
The Dons No.1 missed the humiliating 1-0 Scottish Cup loss to sixth tier minnows Darvel last January due to injury.
Dutch stopper Roos was ruled out of the tie with a hamstring tear suffered in the 2-1 Viaplay Cup semi-final loss to Rangers just weeks earlier.
It was an injury that was to sideline the keeper for two months.
Roos couldn’t travel to Darvel with the Dons squad as he had just returned from seeing a specialist in London about his injury.
So he watched it in shock at home on television in the Granite City.
Roos describes that defeat and the aftermath as a “horrible period” and insists those memories are still raw for many at Pittodrie.
Which is why he has vowed they will go all out from the start against League Two Clyde tonight to avoid cup shock lightning striking twice.
The 31-year-old said: “I was injured last season so had been down in London seeing a specialist.
“I watched the game on television in my house.
“It was horrible for everyone involved, including me because I knew what the guys were going through.
“I have been in that situation before, so you know what it’s like.
“When you do something and it doesn’t work, doesn’t work – then you get slapped.
“It’s a horrible feeling and we don’t want it to happen again.”
Darvel was ‘painful for everyone’
In the Scottish Cup fourth round clash tonight Aberdeen will face a Clyde side sitting rock bottom of League Two.
This time Roos, an ever present all season, will be in goal for the Reds.
He said: “It was a horrible period.
“At that moment in time things didn’t work for us and it was painful for everyone involved.
“So let’s be clear, everyone who was here last season remembers the feeling and the last thing we want is to feel that again.
“So we need to be ready from the get-go on Friday night because we don’t want to let things be dictated by being lucky or unlucky.
“We need to be good and concentrated and if we do that, perform to our levels we’ll win the game.
“We don’t want to dwell on last season too much, though.
“Now we just want to get going again and look forward.”
Following in club legend’s footsteps
It is now 35 years since Aberdeen last won the Scottish Cup, overcoming Celtic in a penalty shoot-out in the final after drawing 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Fellow Dutch keeper Theo Snelders was between the sticks for the Dons in that final win.
Roos recently met Pittodrie legend Snelders and hopes to follow in his footsteps by winning the Scottish Cup.
He said: “I met Theo Snelders here at Pittodrie.
“His resume at this club speaks for itself, I am well aware of what he did here so it was nice to meet him and chat.
“It would be brilliant to follow in his footsteps and win a cup.
“1990 was before I was born!
“It’s a long time ago and we know what it means here.”
‘I don’t see the point of playing in a final if you don’t win’
Aberdeen reached the Viaplay Cup final this season but lost the glamour showpiece 1-0 to Rangers last month.
Roos insists there is no point reaching a final – unless you win it.
He said: “It works as fuel for us that we had a little sniff of maybe winning something last month.
“A lot of players, if they didn’t already, now realise how important it is to win things.
“When you are in the cups it’s about winning.
“I don’t see the point of playing in a final if you don’t win.
“Getting there might be nice for some people but for me, I play to win.
“Ultimately the only thing is to win.
“So first we have to beat Clyde because if we don’t we don’t have the right to speak about anything else.”
Roos addresses his Aberdeen future
Roos is out of contract at the end of the season and has been free to talk to any interested clubs since the transfer window opened on January 1.
Aberdeen boss Barry Robson recently confirmed he hopes to sign Roos on a new contract.
Roos insists his priority for now is helping Aberdeen progress in the Scottish Cup and rise up the Premiership table.
He said: “I am very happy here and my family is happy.
“It sounds like the club is happy too.
“At this moment in time we have the priority of trying to win games.
“I understand people want to see players like me maybe stay and it’s very nice to hear.
“But at the same time, we have to get to where we belong in the league and if we don’t do that then it’s not what we’re looking for.
“So first and foremost, it’s about getting through in the cup and getting points on the board in the league.
“The only thing that matters to me is being happy because when I’m happy I perform better.
“I’m happy, the club is happy so we are in a position for me to perform.
“If we do that we have everything in place to have a beautiful season again next year.”
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