WHEN the end-of-season gongs are dished-out at Pittodrie, Jonny Hayes will be among the nominees for the Aberdeen player-of-the-year prize.
The Dubliner has developed into a player who has made a huge impact to the Dons' impressive form this season, producing star performances in various midfield roles as well as at left-back.
Today, as he prepares to face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and seek three more points to confirm their status as runners-up elect in the Premiership, Hayes has called for his side not to ease-up.
"We'd have to have a major slump to lose out on second now," he said, "but we don't just want to be comfortable finishing second - obviously the league's Celtic's now - we want to see how many points we can get on the board and set a standard to try and break it again next season.
"The run that we had is one Celtic can do two or three times a season with just the odd mishap, but for a team other than Celtic to put together a run like we have is pretty outstanding.
"People will say we haven't been great for the past few games [against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Partick Thistle and Dundee] but we've still managed to not lose those games, obviously apart from the Celtic game, our only loss in 19 games.
"You don't see that kind of run too often and if we can now look to stay unbeaten till the end of the season.
"It's going to be a very tough ask, but I think if we can kick on now and play well then we can bridge the gap between ourselves and Celtic and it gives us something to aim at next season.
"We've been a bit more consistent this year, we've been a better team and we're disappointed that we can only finish second."
Hayes believes his versatility this season has made him a better player, a view with which Derek McInnes, his manager, concurs.
"I've found myself in different positions," the former Caley Thistle player said, "and I've had a bit more consistency.
"Maurice Malpas [the former Dundee United and Scotland full-back] used to say about wingers that he didn't like them because 'they were quite inconsistent'.
"One day you can have a great game then the next a bad game and you can't put your finger on it.
"But I think playing in different positions under the manager has helped me be a bit more consistent.
"I'll probably change position again in the future and wherever that may be it's up to the manager."
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