DEREK McInnes claimed he didn’t care what people say about Scottish football, particularly those who live in England, but this thorny topic has clearly been on his mind.

“We are a proper football club,” he told the media, many of whom had travelled north to cover Burnley, after his side’s creditable and well-earned 1-1 draw with their Premier League opponents.

How could anyone have argued against his point on a night when close to 21,000 people packed Pittodrie to watch two evenly matches teams play out a fine match under the floodlights?

And the outstanding banner in tribute to Neale Cooper ‘Heroes get remembered, legends never die’ a reminder that it is this club based in Scotland’s north east which is the last to defeat Real Madrid, the game’s biggest name, in a European final.

A proper football club indeed.

Aberdeen will never have the money of Burnley. Or any English team bar one or two in the Premier League and Championship. But cash, even lots of it, can’t buy memories. Real football fans know that.

Apart from those who follow Liverpool, not other set of British supporters know what’s it’s like to beat Real Madrid in a final. And, remember, they defeated Bayern Munich in the quarter-final that season and the next became Super Cup champions having outclassed European champions Hamburg.

That’s why the red strip has two stars on it. That means more than any television deal.

Burnley will feel they have a big advantage going into next Thursday’s tie at their Turf Moor home and rightly they are seen as favourites.

However, McInnes, who started six players who hadn’t played a single game in Europe in their lives – including the impressive 18-year-old Lewis Ferguson – is a superb manager and if anyone can plot their way to victory next week it is him.

“A lot of people talk about Scotland from the outside but we just focus on ourselves,” so said Gary Mackay-Steven who was calmness personified when taking the penalty which gave Aberdeen an early lead.

“We know we are a good side when we pull for each other and play to our strengths. We just wanted to show that on Thursday night.

“It was frustrating to lose the goal but they are a good side. They finished seventh in the Premier League and are a good team but for large spells we carried out our game plan well. We will have to go down there and show the same confidence next week.

“We don’t focus on outside critics or whether or not they need to be silenced. We just want to showcase our football and give a good account of ourselves and I feel we did that. It is only half-time we need to go down there and to attack and score a goal but we are looking for it.”

Mackay-Steven had a good night but then they all did. Sam Cosgrove won’t score 30 goals a season but showed himself to be a fine target man. Captain Graeme Shinnie gave his all as he always does, Niall McGinn looked like his old self while Mikey Devlin, a free from Hamilton, never lost a header all night.

And young Ferguson, playing just behind Cosgrove, was outstanding before running out of gas.

“Lewis is a great prospect,” said Mackay-Steven. “He is so young but physically he is really strong and he has great footballing intelligence and a great engine. “

“He has a great future ahead of him. It was a big game but he handled it so well and he certainly has a bright future ahead of him.”

“Sam has done great for us since he got into the team at the end of last season. He can cause any defence problems with his physicality and style. He can also run in behind and he also has pace. He has been really strong and allows us to get up the pitch. Long may that continue.”

Sam Vokes, who came off the bench to score a fine equaliser for Burnley, promised the second leg would be equal to the first in terms of atmosphere. It ought to be a cracking night.

“The atmosphere at Turf Moor will be similar to Pittodrie - the stadium gets rocking for evening games and Aberdeen will bring a few fans down so it will be a good occasion,” said the striker.

“I haven’t followed Scottish football massively but I know Aberdeen had a great season last season so we knew it would be tough. We watched some of their recent games and some from last season. It felt like a proper cup tie. It was a great atmosphere.”

Next week will be fun.