Derek McInnes demands Kilmarnock create Copenhagen's 'biggest nightmare' as he eyes Euro history

Derek McInnes has urged his Kilmarnock players to turn Rugby Park into a house of horrors for Copenhagen.

Killie face one of the biggest games in the club’s history as they bid to overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit in their Europa Conference League play-off round tie. It’s a tall order for McInnes’ side but he is confident they can get under the skin of their Danish opponents in front of a noisy home crowd.

The Killie boss said: “I’ve told the players we need to be Copenhagen’s biggest nightmare. To do that, we need to bring everything we’ve got to the game and we need to play with confidence. We need to play with a flavour of what we were last season in a lot of the bigger games, like the ones against Celtic and Rangers. We’ve all got to want to make this happen as a squad, a staff and with the support behind us.

“Our sheer will, as well as quality and confidence and being smart with our work has all got to play a part. We can’t be unsure, we can’t be timid or apprehensive. We’ve got to be in territory we’re happy on to go and take Copenhagen on.”

If Killie pull it off, it would rank as their greatest comeback since they famously wiped out a 3-0 first leg defeat to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 at Rugby Park in a Fairs Cup first round tie 60 years ago. Guiding them into the new league phase of the Conference League, guaranteeing six more European games and a bounty of around £4million, would also be one of the most significant achievements of McInnes’ managerial career.

He said: “I’d rather talk about that if we managed to do it. But I do want to be the manager that does it and I’ve told the players I want them to be the ones who make a bit of history for the club.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the players already for