THE Scottish tour of the Ladbrokes Premiership trophy pulled into Aberdeen yesterday with goalkeeper Joe Lewis hoping he will be in a position to clutch it “for real” at the end of the season .
The game in Scotland is a new experience for the goalkeeper, signed by Derek McInnes after being released by Cardiff City, but he eagerly anticipates his big test against Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday as he insists intimidation is not on the cards.
The 6ft 5in keeper has performed in front of big crowds and in hostile atmospheres before and while Celtic have been in thrilling form this season, he underlines Aberdeen’s aim not to shirk the task before them nor aspirations to end the season as champions.
"I don't see any reason why we can’t lift the Premiership trophy at the end of the season,” he said.
“We will try to do that and we weren't a million miles away from doing that last season.
"I know other teams have strengthened but I feel like we have strengthened as well and the next few months will give us an answer.
"Every game is a test but when you go to the bigger clubs in front of huge crowds that's something you look forward to.
"They have won a lot of games and scored á lot of goals this season so it will be a test for our defence but hopefully we can test them as well.”
He accepts Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops will keep him busy on Saturday in their efforts to keep their winning run going following last night’s Champions League qualifier in Israel.
"We won't cower away from Saturday’s game,” he said, ”because we have the sort of guys at Aberdeen that will stand up and look forward to the game.
"One of the reasons I came here was to play in these sort of big games and I am here to do as well as we can in every game.
"We will prepare right and look at their strengths and weaknesses like we do with all teams and look forward to the game in Saturday.
"It wasn't a surprise when Brendan Rodgers went to Celtic but it certainly put more of a spotlight on the Scottish league as he is obviously a good manager.
"He had a good record at Swansea, assembled a good squad there and a lot of people admire the way he gets his teams playing football as well.
"His joining Celtic has made a lot of people stand up and maybe look at the football up here a bit more from an English perspective.”
He has been impressed with the way Rodgers has the Hoops playing, though he is not totally surprised having faced Swansea when the Irishman was in charge there and Lewis was with Cardiff City.
"They were always a good team and a difficult team to beat in the Championship,” he said.
"There are not a lot of teams in that division that play total football but his side certainly did that.
"He will try to get his Celtic side playing in that manner as well but it is early on in his reign there.
"I played against Swansea once or twice and I've seen his Celtic side a few times but it is difficult to draw any similarities yet.”
Having featured for Cardiff in front of 50,000 fans in a Championship game against Newcastle United, Lewis is not fazed at the prospect of stepping out at Celtic Park.
"There was quite an atmosphere at that game,” he said, “and this will be something similar for sure.
"I'm sure we will take quite few fans down there and it's not the sort of occasion you get intimidated by.
"When you are a kid these are the sort of games that you dream about playing in and with the character in our squad we will rise to the occasion.
"I've only joined recently and I can only go on what I've seen and I can't see our players freezing on any occasion.
"We have got some courageous players and some great lads in the dressing room so I can't see that happening.”
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