Leighton Clarkson admits silver lining of no European football amid Aberdeen's red-hot start

Leighton Clarkson knows a big factor in Aberdeen’s blistering start to the season is that they don’t have European football to distract them.

The midfielder admitted he and his Dons teammates struggled last season to cope with the added burden of European group stage football and the domestic scene. The Aberdeen squad - which have won all 12 games under Jimmy Thelin - are desperate to get back there but Clarkson knows a clear run this term has given them the advantage over Scotland’s European representatives.

Hearts make the trip to Pittodrie on Sunday and will do it directly coming back from a trip to Azerbaijan to take on Dinamo Minsk in the Europa Conference League. Clarkson admitted: “Europe is where you want to be but at times teams in the Scottish league can struggle at times with the demands. You get to Europe and you maybe don’t deal with the bread and butter of the league.

“I think in my three seasons here the teams who have finished third and gone into the group stages have struggled a bit. Every team needs to strive to do well in both but it can be difficult.

“We play Hearts and they are away in Azerbaijan, which is a long trip. We aren’t in Europe so that gives us a little advantage going into the game, not having to fly eight hours there and back. Yes, Europe is difficult but that is what we are striving for.”

Clarkson had European experience before with Liverpool but he didn’t have to worry about coming back into the Premier League action. That was an eye-opener last season when he was one of Barry Robson’s key men.

Aberdeen took on BK Hacken in the Europa League play-off and then Eintracht Frankfurt, HJK and PAOK in the group stages of the Conference. Aberdeen won plenty of plaudits but struggled