MARK McGHEE today told his Motherwell players they will experience the greatest nights of their football lives when they play in Europe next season.

The Steelmen clinched a place in the Uefa Cup when Celtic beat Hibs 2-0 at Parkhead.

The Fir Park club, dramatic 2-1 winners against European rivals Aberdeen at home on Saturday, are now four points clear of both Dundee United and the Easter Road club.

United, who lost 3-1 to Rangers, and Hibs both have just one game left so Well have clinched a place in Europe for the first time in 13 years.

And McGhee, who won the European Cup-Winners' Cup with the Dons in 1983, reckons his boys are in for a treat in next season's competition.

Mark beamed: "The greatest nights of my football career were the European games I played when I was with Aberdeen, Celtic and Hamburg. There was nothing like them.

"I know the boys will thoroughly enjoy themselves. It is a great achievement for the guys and hopefully we can go on and do well."

McGhee was in the stands at Parkhead to watch his former club Celtic do his current side a massive favour by beating Hibs.

The ex-Leicester, Millwall and Wolves manager has been hailed as the mastermind behind a remarkable season which was badly affected by the tragic death of club captain Phil O'Donnell.

However, McGhee was quick to praise his assistant Scott Leitch and all of the players who have helped the Lanarkshire club punch above their weight.

"It is not a miracle as these boys are good enough," he argued. "They have been good enough to beat Aberdeen three times, they have beaten Dundee United and Hibs really well, we have won at Parkhead and taken points off Rangers.

"They have proven over the season to be good enough. All I have done is brought that out and encouraged it. Scott Leitch has been a superb lieutenant for me. We have worked as a team and we all deserve equal credit."

Young striker Darren Lee Smith scored the goal which set his side on the way to a memor-able victory in front of a bumper crowd - Chris Porter grabbed the second - and he feels Well deserve to qualify for Europe.

Smith said: "This season, so many things have been thrown at us, the pitch and other things, it has really been putting us down.

"But we have come back and played some amazing football and I think people can see we deserve it."

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood was angry assistant referee Martin Cryans had not awarded the Dons a goal at 1-1 when Barry Nicholson's volley crossed the line before Motherwell keeper Graeme Smith clawed it away.

He stated: "We should have gone 2-1 ahead. At the time, I thought it was a great save from the Motherwell keeper Smith, but television replays have proved it was two yards over the line.

"It is very disappointing to lose the game in that manner."