Graeme Shinnie has sent a close season message to Scott Brown.
The Aberdeen midfielder collected the 17th booking of the season in the 82nd minute of his side’s 1-0 win over Celtic with a late cowardly foul on the hoops skipper.
Typical of the treatment Brown has had Craig Thomson decided against showing a red card with Shinnie rarely involved in the closing moments of the match.
Despite the brutal treatment and lack of protection the Celtic skipper avoided serious injury and warned Shinnie and the other ‘hard-men’ of the SPFL that he’ll be back in the thick of the action again next season.
Speaking from Peru to the Daily Record the Dons midfielder said: “I have total respect for fellow players and especially Scott Brown for what he has achieved in the game, captaining the national team and Celtic and all he has accomplished.
“I’m guessing there will probably be some sort of revenge coming back at me and I fully expect that. I’m a man who can take it. That’s what happens, it’s competitive in the middle of the pitch.
“We’ve been the two best teams in the league for the last few years and everyone knows he’s a big character in Scottish football.
“He’s a competitive player and in my eyes that’s the way I play the game too. Rangers-Aberdeen, Aberdeen-Celtic – they’re competitive matches with big atmospheres and it’s a bit of a war.
“There are plenty of bad tackles but once it’s finished it’s done and dusted. If it wasn’t, there would be a number of boys in the league coming for me.
“His comments were maybe a wee dig after what happened in the game. I’m tough enough to deal with that – I take a lot more stick off the boys in the dressing room. A lot of them would probably agree with what he said! I’m a man and I can take that stuff.”
Shinnie was in the Scotland squad that lost 1-0 to Holland in November at Pittodrie but failed to make an appearance.
Alex McLeish called him up into the squad for the matches against Peru and Mexico and is expected to return to Pittodrie with his first full international cap.