B | Player Pics | A-Z of Players
Personal
| Full Name | Scott Brown |
| Known as | Scott Brown, Broony, Broonie |
| Date of Birth | 25th June 1985 |
| Birthplace | Dunfermline, Scotland |
| Height | 1.75m (5ft 9in) |
| Position | Midfielder (CM) |
| Signed | 29/05/07 (Hibernian £4.4M) |
| Left | 16 May 2021 (to Aberdeen for player/coaching role) |
| Squad No. | 8 |
| International | Scotland |
| Caps | 55 |
| Goals | 4 |
Trivia
- In Jan 2009, Scott Brown was highlighted as “One to watch” for the year by FIFA. (link)
- Captain of Celtic in The InVIncibles season.
Biog
Celtic beat Rangers to the capture of highly-rated Hibs midfielder Scott Brown in May 2007, although many are sceptical of the true resolve by Rangers to purchase Brown or if it was really just a media ploy.
After the Ibrox club had signed Kevin Thomson, Brown’s midfield partner with the Edinburgh club, in January 2007 it was wrongly assumed by the media and the Rangers support that the Scotland international would soon follow his friend south of the Clyde. The arrogant Rangers support were so confident Brown was theirs – after being assured it was a ‘done deal’ by Clyde FM pundit and ex-Rangers’ player Derek Johnstone – they even taunted the Easter Road support with a chorus of “Scott Brown, we’re gonna take Scott Brown…“.
But on 16th May 2007 the Bhoys paid a reported £4.4 million to beat Rangers, Tottenham and Everton for Brown’s signature. Ironically, just three days after the move was agreed Brown scored against the Hoops in a league match at Easter Road. The transfer was a then record fee between Scottish clubs and an accurate reflection of the then 21-year-old’s growing reputation. Also Rangers were never really in the hunt for Scott Brown, they couldn’t compete.
Celtic Career (Pre-Brendan Rodgers)
It would however prove to be a difficult first season at Parkhead for Brown. Tenacious, a strong runner and with undoubted ability Brown certainly showed glimpses of the attributes which made him the most sought after Scottish midfielder in years. But despite some great showings, inconsistency and a lack of discipline would mean the player never really hit the heights expected. Consequently he lost his place in the side during the title run in following a suspension due to his high number of bookings.
That didn’t stop a delighted Brown joining in the Championship celebrations at Tannadice but the player’s joy hid a personal sadness which would put any footballing issues into perspective. Just days after the title party it was announced that Scott’s younger sister had passed away following a battle with skin cancer. It says everything about Brown’s strength of character that he was able to produce the standard of performance he did while having to deal with such sad circumstances off the pitch.
The following campaign (2008/09) saw Celtic relinquish their hold on the title but for Brown the season was not a total disaster as he picked up the SPFA Players’ Player of the Year. Showing much more consistent form, Brown’s energetic performances were to be one of the few highlights of a dire league campaign for the Bhoys.
In the summer of 2009 Brown would be frequently linked in the press with a big money move to Tottenham Hotspur but despite the persistent rumours the player would remain with Celtic, who were now managed by his former Hibs boss Tony Mowbray. Injury would effect Brown’s preparation for the start of the 2009/10 season but he was soon back at the heart of the action for club and country and on September 5th Scott would net his first international goal in Scotland’s 2-0 World Cup qualifier win over Macedonia at Hampden.
However, the season would turn into a disaster for the Bhoys and by early spring Celtic were out of the title race and Mowbray out of a job. The Celtic fans were disgusted by the team’s abject performances during a dire trophyless campaign which saw them thrashed 4-0 by St Mirren in the SPL and humiliated by Ross County in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
Brown would not escape criticism with some in the support believing the player now represented poor value for money and had brought only an undisciplined and reckless energy to the team. Others though stood firm in their opinion that Brown was a key man for Celtic and gave the team much need tenacity and thrust. New Hoops manager Neil Lennon showed where he stood in this debate when he awarded Scott the Celtic captaincy.
Although disrupted by injury the 2010/11 campaign was a good season for the midfielder. His early season form – when he was often played wide right – was good but then a lengthy injury lay-off followed.
His return to the side in December certainly saw an improvement in the Hoops results, although he missed the New Year victory over Rangers due to a harsh suspension for a red card in a clash with Motherwell. However, he didn’t let this get to him and his return to the side saw him link with the returning Kayal to form an incredibly well functioning and effective midfield.
In the Scottish Cup tie at Rangers on February 6th, Brown scored with a sublime curling shot from outside the box to give the 10 men of the Hoops (who had keeper Forster sent-off in the first half) a richly deserved 2-2 draw. If his goal was memorable, his celebration was unforgettable as, with arms out-stretched he coolly turned and faced up to the spitting mad El Hadji Diouf. The celebration quickly became an iconic moment in Celtic history and inspired the comical and wonderful “Let’s all do the Broony!” chant.
The summer passed with a new contract not signed by our captain, and increasingly many were expecting that it was a case that he was to leave on a free to grab the money. “Celtic should have sold him” to safeguard some money was a common opinion. This carried on, and it was not until Dec 2011 that he signed a contract (and this was after more delays that Celtic would not pay any extra to his agent).
Scott Brown didn’t necessarily come out it too well and the support seemed to be divided between those who thought he should move on and those who were happy he was staying. He had been injured of late prior to his new contract and so had a lot now to prove. Some cynics would even argue that he signed as there was actually no concrete interest from other big clubs to sign him, but he was so settled, so why move on?
Scott Brown had turned a corner. He had become pivotal to the first side adding some steel and graft, making those challenges others would avoid and niggling the opposition players to gain a psychological edge. An important player and the leader on the pitch, his worth was felt most when he was out the first team side (due to injury or whatever else). There was nobody else who could replace him for what he could do. He controlled matters on-field and was a tension reliever for the rest of his team-mates with his humour and ability to take the heat off them onto himself.
Winning the league title in 2011/12 as captain was a high point. Lifting the trophy meant much to him. He may not have come as a Celtic fan but he had definitely grown into becoming one. This title win was the least he deserved. The support was fully behind him and was hoping for more. We were seeing the man maturing into what we bought him for. In Jan/Feb 2012, he had a purple patch of games scoring one goal per game in four games in a row.
Sadly, his injury situation was to worsen. He was diagnosed with a degenerative hip injury in August 2012. The manager stated that for his sake he would mostly rest him and consider him only for the Champions League matches. A bitter blow for the team captain that he would not play a major part domestically. He had to have an injection to help him get through the Champions League qualifiers and obviously this is not ideal for any player, his personal long-term health is more important than anything else. However, thankfully he seemed to manage most games without needing to sit on the sidelines and played more than enough matches for people to not even realise his health situation.
Despite the health situations, it didn’t impede Brown, and he was to continue to be a main player in the side, much missed when out the side.
However, if there was one match that reflected the risk with Brown’s approach then it was the home Champions League group match v Barcelona in 2013. Having not played in the celebrated victory a year before, this was a big game for him. He was throughout the match our engine and our best player, but then a challenge with a Barca player next saw Brown take a cheeky innocuous swipe at the challenging player who was now on the ground. Brown was sent off, with little argument from the more prudent. The were handicapped and lost one nil at the end. It was unnecessary and stupid by Brown, and in part cost us as Celtic were heading to another wonderful result. He later took full blame for the incident and result which is commendable but didn’t help his case.
Ironically, the above came just as people were recently praising his increased maturity. It was petulant, but shouldn’t overshadow all the rest of the good of his game that he has brought to Celtic on & off the field. The honours won at Celtic during his tenure were well deserved.
The biggest problem for Scott Brown that as much as most Celtic fans would agree that we are a better side with him than without, throughout his time the curious point is that a number of the first team’s greatest moments actually came when he was absent. When Celtic won the league title against the odds in 2007/2008, he was benched whilst Paul Harley & Barry Robson were played ahead of him in the final run of seven winning games. When Celtic beat Barcelona 2-1 in 2012 he was not in the side; when Celtic won our first game since 1985 against Rangers in a New Years derby in 2011, he was absent; and when Celtic beat Ajax 2-1 in the Champions League in 2013 he was suspended. This all can’t be dismissed. These were high profile matches. Notably, that moment of idiocy against Barcelona in 2013 in a 1-0 defeat for an innocuous flick at the grounded little cheat Neymar, lost Celtic the game when the team were in the running for at least a draw up to that point in the match.
One problem was probably not Scott Brown. Following Strachan, Celtic struggled to find a suitable manager. Mowbray failed, and Lennon with all due respect was a good manager but not a great developer of players. This possibly hindered Brown’s development as a player, but he never let it stop him. He still gave his all but really needed someone to give him that added push. Brown’s skills could be limited, but he got stuck in and never gave up and that worked in some matches but in others his lack of technical class showed up (even domestically let alone in Europe).
Brown was the energetic, hard man, combative midfielder but not all were convinced and thought these attributes were masking his then often lack of nous on the pitch.
His personality skills could be said to be his greatest assets, he knew how to wind up opposition players to put them off their game, which gave an edge. It wasn’t uncommon for opposition players to give him jip in the papers, but as he replied:
“Some people like you and some people don’t and I really don’t give two monkeys to be fair.”
If he needed to see the example he needed to follow then it is probably fair to say that Kris Commons likely led better by example than Scott Brown did at times. Both were midfielders, but Kris was more valuable in many ways, and maybe he needed more help. The team was carried by Commons for a long while, when it should have been Brown’s role to do so.
The denouement could have been the Deila seasons, where despite the successes of the league titles (helped by the death of Rangers), the first team was regressing and Brown seemed to not be the force he once was. As the Deila managerial run was rapidly imploding in the second season it looked to be coming to the end for Brown as the lynchpin of the side too, but to the surprise of everyone, the magical hand of Rodgers was to reinvigorate Brown.
When Brendan Rodgers arrived at Celtic, he had a magical touch with certain players, and one of the most obvious examples to this was to be Scott Brown. Season 2016-17 was to see the introduction of TheRangers to the top flight for the first time, and the press were already building up their challenge and belittling Celtic in some ways.
Various Celtic supporters were concerned, and the captaincy is one which is the first to be reviewed. Yet, Brown was to prove all doubters wrong.
Brendan Rodgers Era
| ”On the field and in the changing room, Scott gives his life to Celtic. If you were going to war, he’s the first one you’d take with you.” Brendan Rodgers (2018) |
Various Celtic supporters were concerned, and the captaincy is one which is the first to be reviewed. Yet, Brown was to prove all doubters wrong.
Under Rodgers, Scott Brown was to be invaluable, and was one of the keys to the incredible undefeated run domestically as Celtic won the treble. Brendan loved him, and Brown was as committed and narky as ever, but in a better system with a great manager Brown was finally able to prove his worth. He marshalled the midfield, needled the opposition, held the defensive midfield role and put in the tackles when needed, giving the rest of his side the opportunity to concentrate on scoring goals.
One of the more comical moments of the season was the arrival at TheRangers of English player Joey Barton who having slagged off Brown in the media, was left second best by our talisman. Barton was humiliated and had to escape back to the humdrum English second tier prematurely. He couldn’t hack it despite having been the second tier player of the season in England.
Having been written off by many only 12 months previously, this was an unexpected second wind to Brown’s career, and was awarded with a testimonial for his long service.
He carried his form through the following years, and under Brendan Rodgers he helped Celtic to the Treble-Treble domestic dominance, which was unthinkable. Brown was the fulcrum for the Celtic side, and nobody could challenge him. He was the captain, and with the record behind him, for many he was now a club legend in achievements at least.
There was no denying, he was centre-stage at Celtic in this whole golden period of success. The First Team had begun to slip under Brendan Rodgers but the one player whom could be counted on most was Brown whose commitment never wavered.
His character throughout this time was a primary reason for the success. Granted there were low points, in Europe and in a notable defeat to Sevco in season 2018/19, but he never let that get to him. Even the premature departure of Brendan Rodgers never phased him, and he was a model captain both on & off the park.
Despite the ageing, he was easily cheating retirement with his performances in the centre of midfield, a lynchpin. So much so that you could sense the frustration from opposition managers in knowing how to handle him, with Hearts Levein once making wild accusations against Brown. We all laughed.
Following a 1-0 victory v Sevco in March 2019, a contentious game with Brown at the heart of the victory, Scott Brown cited by the Scottish FA for ‘not acting in the best interests of Association Football’ after the match. Totally ridiculous, but no charges held up against him. This was a match in which one Sevco player was sent off for elbowing Brown in the face and then another was not even carded after attempting a punch on Brown in the face. Some of the comments after this from various football pundits included:
- “I would have… smashed him.” Vinnie Jones
- “I want to knock him out.” Ian Holloway
- “I probably would have gone for Scott Brown myself.” Stevie Gerrard
Any issues players had with Scott Brown were really in their heads, many foaming over nothing. He could get under the skins of opposition players, but never anything vindictive. There is always needling in the game at all levels, that is part & parcel of sport. It was Scott Brown’s success that was most bothersome for his detractors.
Neil Lennon Era
| “If you boo him: he loves and feeds off it. If you slate him: he comes back stronger”. Charlie Mulgrew (2019) |
Having wrapped up season 2018-19 to complete the incredible treble-treble, things were to move on again. Problem was that age was catching up with Scott Brown, and Celtic had still not found a replacement, deputy or apprentice to adequately fill in or support him for when needed.
Disaster in the European Cup v FCR Cluj at home, in a 4-3 defeat, Scott Brown had a terrible game and gave away a needless penalty when Celtic looked to be over the line. It was a failure which hung over Neil Lennon and Scott Brown, if anything this was a turning point for Scott Brown. It clearly demonstrated that his best form was behind him now.
He was pushing against the years at this point, but the managerial team was finding it impossible to replace him, not helped by the season long delay to get Turnbull and then the loss of form of many others.
Brown was played almost automatically by Neil Lennon, and Celtic did win another fantastic treble to complete the quadruple treble in 2019/20 which made Brown one of the greats in all Celtic history. He was loved for his part, but in that last season he wasn’t as pivotal. Once Covid set in and the seasons were impacted, there was scope to look for a transition but the poor managerial set up under Lennon set Celtic into freefall.
The difficulty for Scott Brown was that despite giving his all in every game, it was diminishing returns as the season went by, and as Celtic practically surrendered the league title in season 2020/21 to Sevco and collapsed, the critics were out for one & all. Scott Brown deserved better but he wasn’t a key problem yet the manager kept desperately reaching out to him to turn it all around. He was now coming to the end of the road.
As a measure of the man and captain, in March 2021, before kick-off v Sevco, Scott Brown sought out Glen Kamara, the Sevco midfielder who was allegedly racially abused prior midweek by a Czech opponent in European competition. He showed him unity and support with the moment going viral. The match ended 1-1. “It does not matter if it is a Rangers player or Celtic player it should never be part of the game and it just shows we are with them and stand with them,” Celtic captain Scott Brown (Mar 2021).
He announced in March 2021 that he was to depart for a player/coach role at Aberdeen at the end of the season. As much as some argued for him to remain for longer, it was the right choice to make for Scott Brown.
It was a bittersweet end to his time, leaving a dishevelled Celtic who had collapsed that final season with no silverware at all. The issues though were well beyond that of Scott Brown, and he deserved to leave on a higher note.
“The sad thing is I won’t get to say my goodbyes in front of 60,000 fans [due to Covid restrictions]. They’ve been a huge part of my journey over these last 14 years and I’ve got a lot of love for them. I wouldn’t be here winning trophies without them. This season has been hard for everyone, and we’ve certainly found it hard having no fans in the ground. It has just shown what the fans bring to Celtic Park.”
Scott Brown (Apr 2021)
His final matches were v St Johnstone at home followed coincidentally by his former club Hibs away for his last Celtic match appearance. Both of those sides were to then play the following weekend in the Scottish Cup final. The home match was a day of celebration for Scott Brown with banners aplenty and the team arriving wearing tribute track tops, and given an inscribed shield to mark his tenure at the club. The away match was a drab no score draw, Scott Brown deserved a better finale.
However there was one silver lining from that season on a personal basis as he was nominated by FIFA for the highly feted fair play award for his gesture of solidarity against racism to Sevco player Glen Kamara just prior to the match in March 2021. A week later he returned to Celtic Park but this time as the Aberdeen captain in a 2-1 victory for Celtic. Scott Brown had to come off with an injury, and on his walk off the pitch he was given the ovation and cheers denied to him in the past season due to the covid-lockouts. He deserved that honour. Same time he came onto the pitch that day with a wreath in honour of Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld who had recently passed away.
You just have to look back at Scott Brown’s record, an incredible legacy of silverware and memories. He developed and came through highs and lows, and his pivotal role through the historic quadruple treble made him a Celtic great. Winning domestic silverware became so common during his time, it was taken for granted but not by him. Astounding record and the leader through Celtic’s record equalling nine in a row. He’d played in total over 600 games for Celtic which is incredible.
As a club captain and representative he was peerless, and every player noted his contribution as well as going the extra mile. Many great memories in Europe too, but could argue that Celtic could have achieved more in Europe and that is possibly the only blip in his grand record. In a lopsided European competitive environment that is arguable.
Scott Brown will be ranked as one of the great Celtic and Scottish club captains. In the 21st Century, it’s almost inconceivable now to think that a great player such as Broony would have stayed at Celtic for over 10 years, given the riches that would have been available to him elsewhere. It says a whole lot about Brown the man as well as Brown the player.
His career shows a man who experienced the sporting highs and lows that only football could put in front of any man, and he took on all challenges to eventually become a hero to the fans and a role model to youngsters. Every time he was written off he bounced back stronger than before. That in itself is much to admire.
Scott Brown captained a Celtic team who won a quadruple treble, one which was invincible domestically. He will be forever held in high regard as a Celtic captain and loathed by those he was up against.
We wished him the best.
Post-Celtic
After Celtic he had a brief spell as a player-coach at Aberdeen but stepped down & retired from playing football after less than a year at Aberdeen when the manager was let go. He at least managed to continue to wind up Sevco and even scored in a pivotal 2-2 draw against them.
He soon moved into management, when he made his first move into management at Fleetwood Town. In 2023 as Brown continued preparations for what he hoped would be his second full season in management following a successful debut campaign, he heard the news that the man who appointed him, Andy Pilley, had been jailed for 13 years for £15million fraud. Unsurprisingly, the serious nature of their benefactor’s plight knocked the club off course. Brown departed in September 2023 having already made history by taking Fleetwood to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time. As he was to reflect back on the experience: “You don’t expect the owner to go to jail for 13 years on your first job“.
[…]
Playing Career
|
APPEARANCES
|
LEAGUE
|
SCOTTISH CUP
|
LEAGUE CUP
|
EUROPE
|
TOTAL
|
| 2007-08 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 48 |
| Goals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2008-09 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 48 |
| Goals | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2009-10 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 30 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-11 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 39 |
| Goals | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2011-12 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 32 |
| Goals | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2012-13 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 33 |
| Goals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2013-14 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 50 |
| Goals | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2014-15 | 32 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 48 |
| Goals | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 2015-16 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 36 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 33 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 54 |
| Goals | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 34 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 56 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 51 |
| Goals | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 51 |
|
Goals
|
2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 45 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 407 | 52 | 33 | 129 | 619 |
| Goals | 29 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 46 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League
Scottish Cup
League Cup
SPFA Players’ Player of the Year:
- 2008-09, 2017-18
- 2017-18
- 2006-07
FIFA Fair Play Award
- Nominee 2021
| KDS HONOURS | ||
| MOTM Winners 2007-08 |
||
| 25-Aug-07 | Celtic 5-0 Hearts | SPL |
| 02-Sep-07 | St Mirren 1-5 Celtic | SPL |
| 24-Nov-07 | Celtic 3-0 Aberdeen | SPL |
| MOTM Winners 2008-09 | ||
| 10-Aug-08 | Celtic 1-0 St Mirren | SPL |
| 30-Sep-08 | Villarreal 1-0 Celtic | Champions League |
| 18-Oct-08 | ICT 1-2 Celtic | SPL |
| 25-Oct-08 | Celtic 4-2 Hibs | SPL |
| Oct-08 | KDS Player of the Month for October ’08 | |
| 08-Nov-08 | Celtic 2-0 Motherwell | SPL |
| Nov-08 | KDS Player of the Month for November ’08 | |
| 03-Jan-09 | Celtic 2-2 Dundee Utd | SPL |
| 10-Jan-09 | Celtic 2-1 Dundee | Scottish Cup |
| 18-Jan-09 | Aberdeen 4-2 Celtic | SPL |
| 15-Mar-09 | Celtic 2-0 Rangers aet | CIS League Cup Final |
| 2009 | ***KDS Player of the Year 2008-09*** | |
| MOTM Winners 2009-10 | ||
| May-10 |
Joint KDS Player of the Month for May ’10 |
|
| 25-Sep-10 |
Celtic 2-1 Hibernian |
SPL Game 6 |
Pictures
Matches
Articles
Quotes
But what of the done deal at Rangers that was alleged by various radio stations?
“It just shows you radio stations talk just as much crap as you do. Everyone was saying I had signed for Rangers when I was sitting in my house. They said I was at Murray Park.”
Scott Brown to a laughing press pack at his unveiling (2007)
“I played against him a few times and he was like me, he was a gobby little f*****! He was as gallus as they come, you know? He still has a brilliant engine and when he was 19/20, he had phenomenal running ability. He could handle the ball, he’d like a tackle and liked giving it out.”
Neil Lennon on Scott Brown
“Some people want to change him but that’s just nonsense. You will never do that, it’s impossible. He is a character and that’s the way he plays, he’s in your face and he can’t keep his mouth shut at times but he is such an endearing boy when you work with him and, okay, he has other parts to his character that are a little bit, well, different but he is a great boy to work with, a great boy to have around and he is a great example. You talk about us having a core of players and he is one of them.”
Craig Levein (Scotland manager) laughs at the idea that a certain amount of mellowing would do Brown more good (2010)
The attributes that make the Scotland midfielder a fit for the Celtic captaincy may sometimes escape outsiders but Izaguirre is gushing over what Brown brings to the squad dynamic. Sharing hour upon hour of gym-time with the fun-loving Fifer, who was building up his fitness following ankle surgery, has the full-back beaming from ear to ear.
“He is crazy, crazy,” says Izaguirre, the phrase the only one he provides in English in the course of an interview otherwise conducted through a Spanish interpreter. “Scott Brown, Kelvin Wilson, Mark Wilson, we were all in the gym together most days and we got support from each other. Spending time in the gym with Scott was crazy. He is very funny, but I think he is a very good captain, he gives us all a lot of support.
“He is always a happy person and is one of a kind in a way. He is always first into training and first to show the rest of the team the way. He supports everybody, and the experience he has of playing here with Celtic and knowing other big players helps. The leadership he shows and the charisma he has is contagious in a way.”
Emilio Izaguierre on Scott Brown in interview with The Scotsman (Jan 2011)
“It was nice to have Broony back and his madness about the changing room as well. You can come into training cheesed off and Broony puts a smile on your face. He gives us energy & it runs through the team.”
Kelvin Wilson (May 2013)
Interviewer: “So what’s the difference between Scottish Premiership and League One.”
Scott Brown: “I don’t know. I haven’t played in League One…If you come along and watch us or watch them (Sevco) on telly you will see there’s a big difference.”
Scott Brown (2014)
“Scott is a leader and it is fantastic to have him back. In the first 10 I just had to start laughing. He was tackling the whole pitch.”
Ronny Deila on Scott Brown (2014)
“Someone threw a pie at me and I was going to eat it but it fell out of my hands. That’s probably just as well because the gaffer wouldn’t have liked it – there’ s too many carbs in it.”
Scott Brown after match v Aberdeen where one of their fans threw a pie at him after he scored (May 2015)
“I enjoy playing with Scott. He does all the ugly side of the game which sometimes he doesn’t get credit for.
“But you definitely see it when you play alongside him. Anyone partnering Scott knows the job he does and how valuable he is to this squad.
“He is definitely good enough to be playing somewhere like down south. We’ve seen it at international and Champions League level what a top-class player he is.
“Does he get the credit he deserves? I don’t know. When you play alongside him and watch him closely you can see the job he does.”
Charlie Mulgrew on Scott Brown (2015)
“Scott does his talking on the field.”
Brendan Rodgers on Scott Brown after Celtic 5-1 win over TheRangers (Sep 2016), followed Huns new ‘big’ signing Joey Barton who had been bigging himself up on twitter and mouthing about Scott Brown. Brown had him in his back pocket the whole day and we all laughed.
“Some people like you and some people don’t and I really don’t give two monkeys to be fair.”
Scott Brown on his critics. (Aug 2015)
“Parkhead feels like home. It’s a place I enjoy coming to and I really love playing in front of those fans.”
Scott Brown (2015)
“He’s a remarkable player who will go down as one of the greatest captains in the club’s history.”
Brendan Rodgers (2017)
“I think he’s under-rated, in terms of his footballing ability. People talk about the gallusness and aggression. But Broony can really play, he can really handle the ball. He’s a fantastic athlete and a great presence on the pitch as well.”
Neil Lennon (2017)
“I am just a guy who got lucky here at Celtic. To be able to be at a club for this length of time has been amazing and I have had the opportunity to go and play in that arena. It is a great honour to have but I know where my place is!”
Scott Brown on overtaking Kenny Daglish as Scottish Player with most matches in European Cup (2017)
“Broony is probably one of the best captains Celtic has ever had, and we’re lucky to be led by him. You don’t meet a lot of people in football who are as good as Broony is.”
Callum McGregor (2017)
“There’s all different ways to be tough as a footballer. I think some of the ones that look tough and bounce around the football pitch acting tough are probably the ones that are not. I think where this comes from is Scott Brown. I’ve played against Scott Brown and he’s a tough competitor, a really good player. “
“I think it’s out of order saying he’s not fair, especially the career he’s had. It all comes down to him going tough on a young kid who plays for Hearts. But I think that’s the game and too much of it is going out of the game.”
Steven Gerard (ex-Liverpool on Brown, Feb 2018);
Speaking on BT Sport about the lack of enforcers in the modern game, who are “tough but fair”, Gerrard singled out Brown as one of his hardest opponents.
“We’ve come here four times and won four games, so we believe we can win here all the time now. They did a lot of talking beforehand – we stayed quiet. We usually do our talking on the park.”
Scott Brown after 3-2 victory away v Sevco
“In my time up here, there is a lot of envy towards Scott Brown.I see it in certain media sectors, I see it in the playing sector, I see managers also.Instead of being envious of him, he is a player that needs to be emulated in his qualities.What rarely gets talked about is what a really good footballer he is.”
Brendan Rodgers on Scott Brown (2018)
“Brendan Rodgers is Celtic boss in name, Scott Brown, Celtic boss by nature.”
Eboue Kouassi
”On the field and in the changing room, Scott gives his life to Celtic. If you were going to war, he’s the first one you’d take with you.”
Brendan Rodgers (2018)
“Celtic has been such an important part of my life for a long time now, since I joined the club back in 2007, and this really is home for me.”
Scott Brown (2019)
“Scott Brown and James Forrest are two Celtic greats and they are still writing their own legacies at the club.”
Neil Lennon (Mar 2019)
“He keeps us together and drives us through in training and demands the highest standards. He is massive for the club, regardless of what has been going on outside the changing room.”
Scott Bain has credited Celtic captain Scott Brown with keeping the team together in the wake of Brendan Rodgers’ departure to Leicester City (Mar 2019)
Interviewer post-match: “what happened with Andy Halliday?” (post-match attack by Halliday)
Broony : “He came to congratulate me “
Scott Brown on Andy Halliday who confronted & grabbed Brown after a 2-1 defeat (Mar 2019)
“Celtic fans have the right to celebrate but to do it right in your face, Halliday has the right to protect his own people. The guy who antagonised it all from the beginning deserves to be punished as well. When you’re provoked, it’s only fair that both sides get punished in my view.”
Stevie Gerard (Sevco manager) on Brown
“Scott Brown has nothing to defend himself for. I think that his treatment on the pitch was nothing short of disgraceful. He’s been elbowed, he’s been hit in the face but he takes it, he stands up to it, and comes back for more, and that’s the character of the man. “You get the usual nonsense and trying to put the same eggs in the one basket, but we’re totally exempt from any blame for this whatsoever. “Scott Brown will go down in the annals of history as a great player. I think he’s a modern-day great, he knows his way around the pitch and even at 33, he’s still playing some great football.”
Neil Lennon on Scott Brown (Apr 2019)
“If you boo him: he loves and feeds off it. If you slate he him: he comes back stronger”.
Charlie Mulgrew (2019)
“He brings great maturity in his role in the team, he’s evolved his game into a top holding-midfield player now. His leadership qualities are invaluable here.”
Neil Lennon (2019)
‘Apparently he is like the king of the league because he can do whatever he wants on the pitch and the referee never says anything’
Hearts Loic Damour slams Celtic skipper Scott Brown(2019)
Mulgrew to WGS: “You used to practice having someone lying down behind the wall.”
WGS: “It used to be Broony unless Aidan got on my nerves and I’d put him there.” (May 2021)
“The sad thing is I won’t get to say my goodbyes in front of 60,000 fans [due to Covid restrictions]. They’ve been a huge part of my journey over these last 14 years and I’ve got a lot of love for them. I wouldn’t be here winning trophies without them. This season has been hard for everyone, and we’ve certainly found it hard having no fans in the ground. It has just shown what the fans bring to Celtic Park.”
Scott Brown (Apr 2021)
“No one would be better placed than our father to appreciate what it takes to be a successful Celtic captain and we know he would be so proud of Scott’s achievements.” #CelticFC
The family of Billy McNeill (May 2021)
“To have had such an amazing career at this club takes real responsibility, real quality, real class, and that’s everything that you possess.”
James Forrest and Calum McGregor send message of thanks to ‘unbelievable’ @ScottBrown8 (May 2021)
“I will be sad but it’s the right time to go. I’m going to be 36 in the summer and – whether it’s John or a new manager that comes in – I don’t want to start again at 36, running about the park saying ‘gaffer, I swear I can still run about and can still play’.”
Scott Brown (May 2021)
“The one ambition I have left at Celtic is to go and get the Treble.”
Scott Brown – June 2015
“Everyone talks about the Celtic family but you don’t understand that until you play here and then when you become part of that family you never want to leave.”
Scott Brown
WGS on favourite Broony memory “Against Milan in Champions League. Asked him to mark Pirlo. He usually had 120 touches & controlled games. Got him down to 70 and it’s the most rattled I’ve ever seen him, a truly world class player, and we went on to win the game thanks to Broony.”
Strachan (May 2021)
“I’m not really an emotional guy but this is probably the closest you’ll get me to tears. Thank you, I will miss you all.”
Scott Brown’s final post-match interview for Celtic (May 2021)
Radio Scotland Kevin Thomson: “Should Scott Brown be stripped of the captaincy [as demanded by ex-Rangers player Colin Hendry]?”
Ex-Rangers Player Kevin Thomson: “Scott Brown couldn’t give a monkey’s what others say about him…. If you can’t deal with him winding you up that’s your problem!”
Radio Scotland; Colin Hendry called for Scott Brown’s removal after over the top criticism of him winding up Sevco players last week in a match for Aberdeen (January 2022)
“So he’s still helping even now by taking two points off Rangers! Can you just imagine if Celtic end up winning this title by just one point? He’s the guy who keeps on giving.”
Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan reckons Scott Brown’s goal in a 2-2 draw at Ibrox could help his former club pip Rangers to the Premiership title. At this point Celtic were only three pts ahead in the league race with nine games left to go, but that’s a long run and anything could happen esp as two games between the sides were left to play. (March 2022)
“I’ve managed to whip it in…Then that guy was standing in front of me, so it couldn’t have worked any better! I’m still devastated I was booked for it. I’ve not ran, I’ve not taken my top off. I just stood & put my arms up!”
Scott Brown on the Broony celebration (2023)