He may tell you he's not looking too far ahead, but inside Ryan Christie will know there's a career crossroads creeping up on his horizon.
Yes, there's another Scotland cap in the offing and the small matter of a Scottish Cup semi-final with Aberdeen - it's fair to say his time at Pittodrie has been a success.
He does, however, remain a Celtic player and no matter what transpires before the current campaign ends, the 23-year-old is expected to report to Lennoxtown for pre-season in the summer.
An article emerged on Thursday that Christie had opened talks with his parent club over a 12-month extension to his current deal, a sign that Brendan Rodgers wants to get the measure of him in a Celtic jersey.
The playmaker's star has risen considerably since joining Aberdeen , firstly on a short-term deal in January 2017 before agreeing a season-long loan last summer.
Christie plays with an elegance not often associated with the Scottish Premiership. He can pick a pass, glide past a man and - importantly - has an eye for goal.
In short, it's easy to see why Rodgers wants to give him a chance and it's equally clear why McInnes would bite your hand off to sign him full-time.
But does he have what it takes to flourish at Parkhead? As Steve Tosh will tell you, talent alone isn't enough in Glasgow's east end.
"Ryan's situation reminds me of an ex-teammate of mine, David Fernandez," the former Aberdeen man recalls. "David was fantastic for us when I was at Livingston, a class above.
"He went to Celtic but they had boys like John Hartson and Henrik Larsson. David was fantastic but you need a run of games under a manager that believes in you."
In Christie's case, he's already cited McInnes as a key factor in keeping his confidence high, and the results of that have been clear to see on the Pittodrie pitch.
He's shown that with the boss' backing he can produce, shouldering the burden as Aberdeen's main creative outlet, although his form has been patchy this season.
The trouble at Celtic will be convincing Rodgers he's worthy of that role over a host of established internationals who are on course to deliver their manager an historic double treble.
Tosh sees a lot of the Hoops' current crop of first-team stars in Christie, but is unsure whether that's a blessing or a curse for the Inverness-born midfielder.
"I can only go on what Brendan seems to like and Ryan ticks a lot of those boxes," he said. "He's a fantastic football player, he's very Callum McGregor-esque.
"And that could be his problem, that the players he would come up against in his position, there's not going to be much between him and the players holding those jerseys.
"The likes of Tom Rogic, McGregor, even Stuart Armstrong to a certain degree.
"Ryan's of that ilk and I think he needs the same as Armstrong did - a run of games under his belt and I'm sure he would flourish."
Few people backed Armstrong to become a key player under Rodgers but the Celtic boss seems to revel in the opportunity to harness young talent.
In Christie he will have a player with all the base ingredients and a healthy dose of Premiership experience thrown into the mix.
If Rodgers wants to help write another success story in the same theme as Armstrong and McGregor then he need look no further than Christie.
And, as Tosh points out, the Celtic boss isn't a man to chuck around new contracts on a whim. Does he already know where he wants Christie to fit in?
Tosh said: "From Brendan's point of view, he's obviously had a look at A) why Ryan was signed in the first place and B) how well he's done at Aberdeen.
"So the next big question for Ryan and for Brendan is to see if he can do what's he done at two other clubs on a regular basis at Celtic.
"He could get a run of games at Celtic and he could be a 20-goal-a-season midfielder because he's got that eye for finding the net. He really could be a Frank Lampard.
"But he could also go there and play 10 games it might not work for him. I do think he has the skill set and the attitude. His attitude is spot on and he comes from a good background."
There is, of course, the possibility that Aberdeen will once again attempt to tie Christie up on a full-time deal.
The temptation to continue being the main man at Pittodrie may hold a certain appeal, especially if Celtic further strengthen their attacking options in the summer.
But, despite being a Dons man, Tosh insists he'd be mad not to grasp the chance make it big at Parkhead.
He added: "If Brendan says he wants to get Ryan back and have a look at him, I think it would be silly of Ryan to turn that opportunity down.
"If he gets a run of games, it wouldn't surprise me if that run continued and continued and he becomes a very good player for Celtic, and hopefully thereafter for the national team."
