AS one of Burnley's European new boys Matt Lowton says working out at Pittodrie tonight to play in the Europa League will be the highlight of his career so far.

Most of the Clarets squad are experiencing European football for the first time and, like Lowton, many of them have risen to this stage from more humble beginnings.

The right-back came through the ranks at Sheffield United but had to drop out of the Premier League to join the Clarets when he was allowed to leave Aston Villa in the summer of 2015.

Since then Lowton's career has taken off, helping Burnley back to the top flight, then survival and last season to seventh in the Premier League.

The reward for that remarkable campaign is a place in the Europa League, beginning with the second qualifying round tie with Aberdeen.

While the group stage is the ultimate aim for this squad, just making it this far is an achievement.

"I can speak for myself, it’s going to be a highlight up to know and hopefully we can get to the group stage and play in the Europa League proper," said Lowton.

"It’s fantastic to reach this level. When you grow up you want to play first team football and then you get the chance to play in the Premier League, we’ve gone on again now and we’ve got the chance to play in Europe.

"It’s a great achievement and we don’t want it stop yet."

To continue the journey the Clarets will have to get the better of Aberdeen over two legs, which will set up a tricky third qualifying round with Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.

Ever since securing seventh place in the Premier League last season, Lowton said the squad have been excited for the European campaign, the club's first in 51 years, to begin.

"We’ve been looking forward to it, as soon as we qualified the lads were talking about it straight away and looking for the draw," the 29-year-old said.

"We’re all delighted it’s finally come around, we’re buzzing to get up for the game."

Burnley certainly won't be taking the Dons lightly, having been handed one of the toughest second qualifying round draws possible.

Derek McInnes side have finished runners-up in the Scottish Premiership four years in a row and the Clarets have done their due diligence on their opponents.

Asked how much the players knew about Aberdeen, Lowton said: "Quite a lot, we’ve got a lot of reports from the scouts up there and a couple of the managerial staff have been up to watch them through their pre-season.

"We know they’re a hard working team, solid when they get behind the ball, a bit like ourselves, so we’re going to have to work hard to break them down.

"They’re a good team, we’re going up there under no illusions it’s going to be a difficult game.

"It’s European football, there’s no easy games, we’ll go up there and give it 100 per cent and hopefully come out with a good result."

Aberdeen have managed to split the Old Firm in the last two seasons, following Rangers' return to the top flight.

Like the Clarets they've punched above their weight in finishing above sides who have spent considerably more.

"We probably did more than anyone thought we would last season to stay in seventh and get European football," said Lowton.

"They’ve done the same thing up there, so fair play to them. It’s going to be a good game."