Scott Brown

SCOTT Brown admitted last night that he will be playing with a point to prove when he captains Scotland against England at Hampden this Saturday and that adding the scalp of the Auld Enemy to an invincible treble would cap "a right good couple of weeks". Paul Scholes said in the lead-up to the game that he wasn't sure whether Brown would "have had the same influence" had he moved to the Barclays Premier League rather than play out his career in Scotland, but the 31-year-old - coming off an excellent campaign - has no shortage of motivation.

“I’m wanting to prove a little point that I’m not finished yet and I’ve got a few years left," said Brown. “Captain for Celtic’s Treble and beat England for Scotland? That’d be nice. A right good couple of weeks."

Having retired from international football last summer - an act he calls "the first selfish thing he has done in football" and also perhaps the best move of his career - Brown is as integral to Scotland's hopes of reaching Russia as he has ever been. A virtual ever-present in a gruelling domestic season with Celtic, he feels his conditioning is up to one more challenge, against Gareth Southgate's catalogue of English-based superstars, and being underdogs on the day will suit Scotland.

“I had five days off before meeting up the squad, so that was about rest and recovery," he said. “The manager will have us doing double sessions going into the match, but everyone has been looking after themselves, such as the English Championship lads who finished a bit earlier. It is better for us to be underdogs. When we go out with Scotland as favourites, we seem to disappoint. So here’s hoping we can produce something special, especially at Hampden."

Hampden has no shortage of critics but Brown feels the sodden pitch played perfectly during the Scottish Cup final. Further rain is forecast again this week, but Queen's Park's season finished more than a month ago. “I have to say the pitch was phenomenal for the Scottish Cup final," he said. "Once it’s wet and it’s not had a lot of games on it, it’s joy to play on. When there are teams playing on it week-in, week-out and then you are in semi-finals and it’s been played-on and it’s dug-out, it’s not what you want to see and it’s not what the public wants to see, either. A state-of-the-art stadium which we are supposed to have shouldn’t have teams playing week-in, week-out."

Brown revealed further details of the two heart-to-heart conversations he had with the Scotland manager and how taking himself out of the firing line convinced him he still had years left at the top. “I am enjoying my football and, as soon as that happens, you might as well play as much as possible," said Brown. "Last year, I wasn’t fit and I wasn’t enjoying it. That’s what happens when you are struggling with injuries. I thought my playing career was coming to an end and it was one injury after another. It was a hard season for me.

“Gordon came to my house at the end of last season and said: 'how are you feeling?'" he added. "I said 'my legs have gone, I’m struggling to chase people around and I’m not feeling myself'. He said: 'I see that'. 'Everyone sees that'. 'How are you going to fix yourself?' 'What are you going to do?' 'Coaching?' 'Put that to one side.' 'Coach when you are 40.' 'Go out there and prove everyone wrong.'

"I had to change a lot of things and try to get myself as fit as possible and then maintain that. For me to call it a day with Scotland might have been a bit premature, but I got the six weeks off, I got the holidays and I came back feeling as fit as I ever have done. That makes me want to play as much as I can and for as long as I can. My fitness levels are through the roof from this time 12 months ago and I just want to maintain those levels. I want to maintain what I have been doing off the park as much as what I’ve been doing on the park and take it from there.

“We got through to the Champions League and I was feeling really good about myself, as good as I’ve felt for a long time. Me and Gordon had another wee chat. I was the one who drove it, because I love playing with Scotland. It’s great. At the time I was the captain and I was sad that I had to give that up, but I had to do it for myself. It’s the first selfish thing I have done in football to look after myself and it was the best decision that I’ve probably made."

 

Scholes comments are strange. Has anyone claimed he'd be a top midfielder in the EPL for a UTD/Chelsea/Arsenal? He'd certainly walk into any team outside the top 6/7 and be one of their better players.

Would love to see Scotland beat the * on Saturday btw.

 

Well there was that former Liverpool manager (some Irish guy, can't remember his name) who said Broony would have walked into his Liverpool team that finished second in the EPL. Guy knows a thing or two about football from what I've heard.

 

Arsenal for the last 10 years have been crying out for a Scott Brown, he's the type of player Conte would love, and is there anyone at Utd (asides maybe Herrera) or Liverpool who plays the role of Brown? * Scholes ginger *

 

Id see him as being every bit as good as Jordan Henderson, if not better.

 

Ian black ffs

 

There's way worse on here from last season!

 

Oh I know but I wanted to check how insane people where a few years back

 

What about tottenham who were interested I think he'd have been the main man their

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I'm feeling quite optimistic knowing the celtic six are in the side bit if winning mentality you can't buy that in some of the squads out with the top four or six down south

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Wouldn't displace Wanyama, Dembele or Dele Ali. No shame in that, though.

 

Dembele is horrendous and has hardly played for them

 

Ali is a completely different player to him also

 

Bit early to be drinking

 

Shut up ffs!

He plays part of the midfield trio, therefor is relevant.

 

Good praise from Butcher and Broony has definitely had offers from EPL clubs before. What hampers perception of him is the two seasons he was basically playing through injury.

 

Butcher is spot on there. Broony's best attribute is his brain: he really does see things coming 2 or 3 passes ahead. I sometimes wonder how people who don't rate him (which included me once upon a time) think he just magically seems to turn up at the right spot to break up an opposition attack or keep our continuity going when we have the ball.

The best players don't react; they anticipate and the very best anticipate several passes ahead. Broony falls into that category.

 

Good post mate.

This season especially, he's just been where he needs to be. Right place, right time, all the time.

I've been a big critic of him in years gone by, but he's always been great at breaking the play up and driving the team on.

 

I'm at the wind up ahahahhaha