Captain, Leader, Legend: “The Most Influential Scotsman of the Last 15 Years”, Scott Brown

When it is in 84′ pittodri Scott Brown takes the ball and is confronted by two Aberdeen players, in a rude manner: he resists first interference, a sandwich well seasoned with kicks and cleats, gets up and goes to Sam Cosgrove, Who is surprised to see him standing still, gives him one leg outstretched at knee height, causing him to fall a few meters while Shay Logan shoots the ball at him. Scotty wakes up, spreads his arms and lets out a free scream halfway through a rush of physical omnipotence and adrenaline. he adjusts the shirt Celtic And four dance step memes, pointed out. Four years later, again at Pittodry, he played the final game of his career: 65 minutes against St. Johnstone, with an armband. But not even the shadow of the hoops.

He congratulated Glasgow last season: a surprise departure after 15 years as absolute leader of a club that goes beyond the era of football, paving the way for a faithful rebuilding of a career that ended in the most natural way. it happens. Beginning of the path as a coach.

To better understand Scott Brown, we must first begin with the words of Celtic CEO, Peter Lovell, who used the anticipated farewell note titled “Captain”. leader. Legend”, clear words.

“Brown has undoubtedly been the most influential figure in Scottish football over the past fifteen years.” he is right.

Scotty’s last season as a footballer wasn’t his best season to date, but he got to know what he needed from next year, when he took on the role of coach. Fleetwood TownIn Football League 1. And here we need to pause for a moment that the past few years have seen many, many changes in the life of one of the most talked about (and used, purely speculative) athletes of all time. decade.

The defined face, unlike Pitodri’s reaction to that Aberdeen-Celtic of 2018, hides a certain calmness this time: She’s even embarrassed in the first interview released by the new Fisherman technician. He smiles and escapes the gaze of the journalist following him: He’s another Scott Brown, in short. Light years away from the man who in 2007 at Hampden Park, after one of the two Tencent’s Cup semi-finals, challenged a BBC reporter, the author of an endless sequence of questions about the previous week, which saw the then players was. The Hibernians (the team of which Brown was a part) meet with President Rod Petrie to complain about their coach, John Collins. Not a laughing scene. Brown answers all questions in an unchanging “I don’t know”, summed up in a simple “Donau”: in short, I don’t see, I don’t hear, I don’t speak, gaze with a fixed and provocative.

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On the other hand, Scotty, who sits in the Fleetwood locker room, is embarrassed, barefaced with confidence: He smiles uncomfortably with his back to the wall. He is a new man.

“I’ll make mistakes: it’s my first job and it’s a miracle if I don’t make mistakes”, He told the “Blackpool Gazette”.

Scott Brown, it wasn’t always like this. One of the most representative episodes of his career at Celtic, of course, follows the goal at Ibrox at the old firm of the Cup in February 2011. Alan McGregor, an impregnable left-hander, who probably doesn’t come from someone like “Brunie.” He wasn’t expecting such a conclusion. That, which has always been “substance” before “technology”, was left in the drawer at the time of his transfer from Hibernian to Celtic, as well as half-forward ambitions that found themselves, over time, as a Screen in the middle of the field to work in.

In any case, that network will always be remembered for the respective glee: Brown and el-Hadji Diouf gave each other a good reason for the entire match. Who do you want to be in the eyes of the Celtic captain after goal? The Senegalese attacker, who raises arms to the face like “Bruni”, is complete with a serious and proud expression. The two will hug at the end of the game: because Scotty has always been like that. Enemies on the pitch, maximum respect out.

“I enjoyed a lot”, Will tell Football Daily Clips after years. We obey him for this.

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From a strictly statistical point of view Scott Brown is one of three captains (along with Billy McNeill, former Celtic, who claimed a streak from the 1965/66 to 1973/74 season, and Richard Gough, along with former Rangers, a streak). with) the 1988 season/89 to 1996/97) having won nine consecutive Scottish Championships with the same team. Overall, in terms of appearances, 611 with 46 goals with hoops.

The last case we always want to remember pertains to the old firm, but is from March 2019: this time he is faced not with a composed man like Diouf, but “El Bufalo” Alfredo Morelos. Certainly not the one that pulls back.

The Rangers striker is sent off the pitch in half an hour in Paradise, but from home we have to wait for replays to justify the screams of the spectators: Brown and Morelos collide on the far ball, the Celtic captain behind him passes through and “El Buffalo” gives him an elbow. Or a gesture of the elbow: in short, enough to knock him to the ground and trigger a red card.

Controversy, controversy: The ideal environment for the old firm, of course. Bruni is medicated and taken off the pitch, it takes a while for Morelos to leave the pitch, Steven Gerrard is clearly upset but used to such reactions from his striker. Brown, meanwhile, is at the height of the fourth man who quenches his thirst: he waits for his opponent to come out and laughs in his face, knowing he has achieved his goal. The most important invisible man in recent Celtic history: the captain, the leader. legend.