MITOV: I HAD TO BE A BADASS

DIMITAR MITOV has confessed he was a “pain in the ass” to the Aberdeen medical staff as he made a successful push to be fit for last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final.

- By Scott Burns

The Bulgarian keeper hadn’t played for the Dons for five weeks after suffering a shoulder injury on international duty against the Republic of Ireland on March 20.

However, Mitov healed just in time to help his club defeat Hearts 2-1 after extra-time on Saturday, with Jimmy Thelin’s men now looking forward to a return trip to Hampden to face Celtic in the May 24 final.

The 28-year-old said: “Yes, I was pushing. I was training like crazy, in the gym, doing all the rehab possible.

“You know, I was just being a pain in the ass to the physios, if I can say that, just to get me back for that game. Thankfully we managed to do it.

“It was really helpful that the manager put his trust in me and put me in goal.

“Any football player wants to play in the big games, you want to be involved.”

Despite potentially being 90 minutes from silverware, Mitov is putting thoughts of glory on the back-burner, with the Premiership run-in taking immediate precedence.