Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has lavished praise on ‘irreplaceable’ Hoops captain Scott Brown ahead of the team’s clash with St Johnstone on Sunday.
The 5ft 9in Scotland international [Source: Transfermarkt] has once again been a mainstay of Celtic’s midfield this season, and Rodgers would be loath to lose him.
“When the time comes that Scott either moves on or hangs up his boots then it will be really difficult to replace him,” he told the Daily Record. “He’s the type of player, especially the Scott Brown of the last two years who has matured and has a real tactical idea of the game, who’s a breath of fresh air.
“That’s irreplaceable. That type of player in the modern game is becoming even less, the competitive edge, a mix of new and old-school mentality. If Scott’s ever out for any length of time, we’ll have to cope with it.”
OPINION
If any player has become synonymous with Celtic in recent times it’s Brown. The midfielder is vital to all the success the club has had over the last few years and he’s earned himself a place in the club’s history. He’s been important to the team again this season and is key to everything positive Rodgers’s side have done this campaign. It’s not been the smoothest of starts this time around but that’s not for a lack of trying on Brown’s side. The 33-year-old is still operating at the peak of his powers after all these years and is surely one of the first names on Rodgers’s team sheet. His leadership qualities are immense and, the Hoops manager is right, the club will miss him dearly once he finally retires or leaves Celtic. You’d hope that he’ll finish his career at Parkhead because it would be strange to watch him play in another team’s shirt. But that won’t happen though, surely.