Richard Jensen expects Aberdeen FC banter with Helsinki pals as rapid Pittodrie start leaves him beaming

Richard Jensen wants to Finnish off HJK – not only to get Aberdeen off the mark in Europe but to gain broader international bragging rights.

The defender will come up against the team where it all started for him when the Dons’ Europa Conference League group foes head for Pittodrie. Jensen came through the ranks at HJK before he moved on to pursue a professional career with Twente Enschede. Aberdeen will be looking to use home advantage to get their first points in Group G tomorrow night. And Jensen knows it would give him the upper hand over international team-mates at HJK like Kevin Kouassivi-Benassan, Miro Tenho, Pyry Soiri, Matti Peltola, Lucas Lingman, Santeri Hostikka and Anthony Olusanya.

He’ll be reunited with many of them in just over a week’s time after yesterday being named in the Finnish squad for Euro 2024 qualifying clashes with Slovenia and Kazakhstan. And Jensen said: “I have a few friends at HJK. There are a few playing in the national teams. There are a few guys my age I played with in the Under-21s and now in the full national squad. I will talk to them before the game. There will be a bit of banter before the game.”

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HJK head to Scotland knowing they are on the brink of winning the domestic title, needing just one more point. Jensen knows they set the benchmark for Finnish football while they will lean on European group stage experience in their bid to bounce back from an opening defeat to PAOK.

The 27-year-old said: “HJK are the biggest club and they have a good team. They are expected to win every year and they have a very strong team. Last season they got very far.

“We need to bring