Peter Leven praised as Aberdeen captain hails 'new era' after Neil Warnock survival job

Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie has lauded Peter Leven for turning around the club's season and setting the stage for a new era under Jimmy Thelin.

Leven stepped in as interim boss when the Dons were teetering on the brink of the relegation zone under Neil Warnock. At the time of his appointment, Aberdeen was just three points clear of the relegation play-off spot following their match against Dundee.

However, since then, they have remained undefeated in eight Premiership games and currently lead the lower half of the table. Leven will be hoping to extend this unbeaten streak during Sunday's game against Ross County, writes the Daily Record.

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Shinnie, who made a triumphant return by scoring in the 5-1 midweek victory over Livingston, said: "It shows where we are as a team and in terms of where we have been.

"Earlier on in the season when a bad decision (the Livingston penalty call) went against us we didn't react the way we should have. "It shows we are a team full of confidence, coming off the back of an amazing run of games.

"It has been good to pull away from the bottom which we were near enough. It seems a million miles away now from where we are. It is great for momentum going into the summer.

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"There is a new era coming next season. We want one game to finish on a high and then we can go into a break, which has been long-awaited."

The season held high hopes as Aberdeen entered the group stages of European football for the first time in years, but the dual demands of continental and domestic competitions ultimately led to Barry Robson's departure.

Leven has since brought a sense of stability and is set to remain a key figure in Thelin's coaching staff for the next campaign.

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Speaking to RedTV, Shinnie reflected: "It is one of those, what if? Everyone knows what kind of team we are and what we can be. We haven't been good enough in the league and we know that.

'It has been frustrating, really frustrating. In the cups, we have shown what we can do and unfortunately the run of form has come at the wrong time."