Dom Ball and Ryan Christie were best friends and flatmates when the Celtic ace was on loan at Aberdeen last season.
And not even Ball’s horror challenge that left Christie facing surgery on a broken eye socket, jaw and cheekbone could damage their friendship.
Dons star Ball has spoken for the first time about that incident in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden a fortnight ago when he and Christie went for a high ball in the first half.
The 23-year-old, who earned a second booking as a result, said: “I had slowed down thinking I was on a yellow card and I shouldn’t do anything stupid.
“But I’ve never been sent off before.m I’ve been in 50-50s before where players have ended up on the floor but there has been nothing wrong with that and there has been no booking.
“I thought Ryan was going to win it but the ball bounced up and was floating in the air.
“Obviously I’ve gone for it and our heads clashed.
“I lived with Ryan in Aberdeen last year so I was never going to try to hurt him.
“It was disappointing that the impact meant he had done his cheekbone and his eye socket then he banged his jaw when he landed.”
Ball, preparing to talk to Reds boss Derek McInnes about making his season-long loan from Rotherham a permanent deal, admitted he was taken aback when he saw pictures of the damage Christie had suffered.
He said: “I’ve been in touch with Ryan since it happened and it was disappointing that I had hurt him and he’s out until the summer.
“You forget all about the football when something like that happens and on that day it was more about how he was than anything else.
“He has actually been having a laugh – he sent me a selfie and said, ‘How the hell have you got off without even a headache and I look like this?’ I was shocked when I saw the picture because the previous week I had a collision with Uche Ikpeazu of Hearts and hurt my head a little bit but this time there was nothing.
“I think it’s because when Ryan flicked the ball, his momentum carried him into the side of my head.
“The booking before that was for my first free-kick and I still stand by it that it was really harsh to pick up two yellows.
“I was a bit naive to go for a 50-50 when already on a yellow card. It was massive learning curve for me but I was absolutely raging in the dressing room.”
Ball’s combative qualities will be on show against Rangers at Ibrox this afternoon.
He spent a season on loan at Gers in 2015-16 and helped them win promotion to the Premiership.
Ball added: “I know having played for Rangers that if things aren’t going well for them then Ibrox can be a very tough place to play.”
