KENNY McLean insists that he has no idea where he will be playing his football next season.

The midfielder will bring his two-and-a-half-year association with Aberdeen to a close in the summer, opting to find a new challenge and capitalise on the obvious progress he has made at Pittodrie since his move from St Mirren in February 2015.

Pedro Caixinha’s efforts to lure him to Rangers three months ago proved fruitless and while there may still be interest from the Ibrox club to secure his signature without having to pay a transfer fee, the players himself will not indulge in such speculation.

He has Celtic on his mind and the clash of the Premiership first and second at Parkhead today as the former Buddy helps his team attempt a league win there for the first time since October 2004 when John Stewart’s late strike brought them a 3-2 victory.

A Scottish Cup winners’ medal, too, would be good way to go out, he says, although it is difficult for him to think further ahead than three o’clock this afternoon.

“We want to stay in the position we’re in,”said McLean. “Obviously, to leave on the back of a cup win would be excellent, but that’s a long way away.

“We need to look at what is in front of us and that’s what everyone will continue to do.”

Of his own future and potential would-be employers, there was coyness and diplomacy in equal measure while reminding himself of the strides he’d made since his move to the Granite City in February 2015; two

Scotland caps - for the friendlies against Czech Republic in March last year and against the Netherlands two months ago as well as Europa League football for Aberdeen in the last three seasons.

He said: “I want to play at as high a level as I can, the same as any player.

"Every Scottish player wants to be involved in the national side, I’m no different but right now the focus is on what’s ahead of us.

“I think the performances from me and the team have shown that and that it’s not affected us, the position that I’m in.

“There are boys up and down the country who are in the same position but we’re professionals and we need to do our jobs. My job right now is to do as much as I can for Aberdeen.

“I’m planning to be here till the end of the season and I’m not going to plan any different.

“Right now my focus in totally on Aberdeen, 100 per cent. If I keep doing as much as I can and playing as well as I can.

“It’s only going to benefit me and the club. It’s a win-win.”

Last weekend’s 4-1 drubbing of Hibs at Pittodrie, on the back of victories against St Johnstone and Dundee - both away from home - means there is a bounce at Pittodrie going into today’s clash as the

Reds seek to make up for a dreadful performance when the Hoops filleted them 3-0 at Pittodrie in October.

“We didn’t lay a glove on them,” he admitted. “We let them have everything their own way.

“We just didn’t put enough pressure on them and they came up here and did what they liked at times on the pitch. That’s not what should be happening.

“We know it wasn’t good enough.

“At the moment, the way we’ve been playing, the way we’ve been pressing, the way we’ve been keeping the ball, everything’s going well.

“It was the same going into the last game against Celtic, but I think this time feels different and we’re really confident.”

Tony Docherty, the Dons’ assistant manager, pointed to the progress they had made year on year and underlined the confidence in the team following three successive wins, two away from home to Dundee and St

“We have watched other opposition against Celtic, as we always do,” he said."We looked at their previous five games and look for any patterns that are there.

“We have got to realise what Celtic are but like any team they have weaknesses. And we need to play to our strengths."