Between Buaben signing up at Tannadice three years ago and Levein leaving for Scotland last Christmas, the pair had a rollercoaster relationship.

Now, though, the former Ajax kid realises his old boss always acted with his best interests at heart.

“Sometimes, things between myself and the gaffer were not always good and when I was out of the team last season I was not happy,” he said.

“I did not want to leave, but I did want to go away for a while and then maybe come back and see if I could start again.

“I went to him and asked him if I could go on loan, but he said no way. He told me to get my head down and work hard to get my place in the team back. That’s not what I wanted and my agent also felt I should go somewhere else.

“That had things going through my head, but Craig Levein is a very good manager because he knows what’s the best thing to do.

“He says what he thinks and he does it — now I know he was right and my agent was wrong and, because I did what he said, I have had a good season.

“I’ve been happy with how it’s gone and I have a lot to think him for, especially if we can win the cup final.”

Having arguably been the Tangerines most consistent midfielder this term and with just a season of his contract left, Buaben is a likely target for bigger clubs south of the border this summer.

His plan for next term, however, is to be battling with United for another high finish in the SPL and in Europe.

“Now I’m settled again and I like it here. The boys are great and we have a good team, so what I want is to be here doing well.”

And as a self-confessed bad loser, his only thoughts on the cup final are how to win it.

“I would feel terrible if we did not win, but that is the way I am any time we lose. I love football, but only if we are winning because that is everything.

“We lost in a cup final two years ago when we played Rangers and, this time, I want to be on the winning side.”

“It is not about who we are playing. Ross County can make it hard for us, but whoever we were against my aim would be to win — and it is on Saturday.”

If he gets the medal he’s so desperate for, Buaben might even break his own teetotal rule.

“It is not that I never drink alcohol and sometimes, when my family are here, I will have a glass of something. As a footballer I do not see it does me any good, so usually I do not drink.

“If we win the cup, though, I might drink some Champagne out of the cup. I don’t want to win so I can be drunk — I want to do it so I have the right medal.”

At least he knows that means the army of his relations who are heading for the national stadium this weekend will all be backing him once they’ve made it over from The Emerald Isle.

“A good few of the family are Celtic fans, so this has saved them from a dilemma — because they would have been supporting Celtic on Saturday and that would mean wanting me to lose.

“And I don’t think I could have gone home in the summer if I’d scored the winning goal against Celtic!

“To be serious about it, I know they always want me to do well. A lot of them are travelling over and, with the people I know here, I think I’ve got something like 30 people going to the game to watch me.”

That’s more than the big man is used to, but he insists having so many familiar faces in the crowd will not be a distraction.

“It’s great to know they’re taking the time to come to the game and in the warm-up I might be looking up to see if I can spot some of them — but come the kick-off I’ll be totally focused.”

If he can get on the scoresheet he will have broken his duck in the Scottish Cup this season. As much as he’d love that, his main aim is to finish the afternoon with a winner’s medal hanging round his neck.

His attitude is summed up in five words — what’s best for the team.

“I was watching the Chelsea game last Sunday when they were going for the league title and I saw Drogba going in the huff a bit when he did not get to take a penalty because the score was still only 1-0 against Wigan.

“As I striker, I can understand his thinking and he was chasing the Golden Boot, but I also understood why Frank Lampard took it.

“He’s their normal penalty-taker and he knew it was about doing what was best for the team — imagine what would have been said if he handed the ball to Drogba, he missed and Chelsea then failed to win.

“For me, of course I’d love to score in the final, but I’d rather not get a goal and finish up on the winning side than get one or two and lose. And that’s what all the boys here at Tannadice are like.

“Anyway, in cup finals it’s usually the case that nobody remembers much about the game itself, only who’s won and lost.”