Aberdeen legend Dougie Bell admits hearing he’s to finally receive a medal 40 years after the Dons’ Euro triumph left him beaming - and would have made late wife Hazel even happier.The 63-year-old received a call from Pittodrie chairman Dave Cormack on Sunday to break the good news after the club secured an extra six medals from UEFA which will be presented as part of the celebrations to mark the date of their European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph, May 12.

The midfielder played a massive part in the club's greatest moment in 1983 even though injury cruelly robbed him of a place in historic victory over Real Madrid in the final.Bell produced man of the match displays in the key quarter final first leg against Bayern Munich which finished goalless and the 5-1 Pittodrie trouncing of Waterschei in the semi final.

But he had to watch the heroic defeat of Alfredo di Stefano’s Madrid magicians from the rain-soaked stands - alongside Hazel - after breaking an ankle in the Scottish Cup semi final win over Celtic just three weeks earlier.Rules back then stated that only the starting XI plus subs got medals - meaning even Sir Alex Ferguson and his assistant Archie Knox have no silverware to mark the stunning triumph.

But that will change next month when Bell, Ferguson and Knox receive the specially made medals with a further three being awarded posthumously to trainer Teddy Scott, former vice-chairman Chris Anderson and the Donald family who will be recognised for the work of then director, Ian Donald, and his father and late chairman, Dick Donald.And Bell says his piece of silverware will be for Hazel, who died of cancer in 2020.

Dougie Bell in touching Aberdeen Gothenburg medal tribute as he dedicates belated honour to late wife

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