Tam Courts has warned Scott Brown their friendship will go out the window when Dundee United make their Premiership opening-day trip to Aberdeen.
Dons new boy Brown, along with Lee Wallace, is one of the new United boss’s closest confidantes in the game.
Brown quit as Celtic captain to take up a player-coaching role at Pittodrie and Courts will go up against him when he makes his league bow as Dundee United manager on August 1.
Courts said: “He’s made a brave move and ultimately friendship will go to one side for 90 minutes. He has joined another top club.”
Aberdeen are under new boss Stephen Glass and Courts accepts they’ll have top-three ambitions.
He said: “Aberdeen always aim to be one of the top teams. We’ll use the game as a benchmark to see how close we are to that level.
“Hopefully the fans will be back as well. We had a bit of history last season from the Scottish Cup [win over Dons]. It was probably our performance of the season, that game.
“Their manager is now going through a transition period, trying to put his stamp on things.”
United have been handed a challenging Premiership start but Courts believes it can set the standard for their league ambitions.
After the Dons opener, United host champions Rangers, are away to double cup-winners St Johnstone and entertain promoted Hearts.
Courts, who made Charlie Mulgrew his first signing, will make his United bow in the Premier Sports Cup first.
He said: “If the players look at our first few fixtures, they will be really looking forward to them.
“With Hearts and Dundee coming up it is going to be a really exciting league thisyear. There are quite a few teams with new managers who will bring new ideas.
“The Premier Sports Cup games are a preamble to that and because the club has not progressed from the group stage for the last three years that has to be our immediate focus.”
Courts is particularly looking forward to his first league game at Tannadice against Rangers – and the Dundee derby on September 18.
He added: “What better way to welcome the champions but with a noisy and passionate home support.
“I am hopeful we’ll have fans back in our domestic game soon. The derby returning is very much one for the fans.”
