Brown’s firm choice can give Celtic the edge as battle begins
The Scotland midfielder had no doubt which of the Old Firm clubs he wanted to join and it could cost Rangers
By Kenny MacDonald
Published: 04 August 2007
Judging by his home debut, Scott Brown is ready for the biggest year in his career as he steps into the cauldron of Old Firm football with Celtic. He joined the club from Hibernian following an eventful season that propelled him into the headlines for more reasons than becoming the record signing between two Scottish clubs, with Celtic prepared to pay 4.4 million.
Brown, 21, played his first home match for Celtic on Sunday in their friendly with Italian side Parma and quickly endeared himself to the Hoops support with some rugged challenges and impressive footwork.
He showed no fear of reputations as he clattered into Portuguese defender Fernando Couto with a lunging tackle, in the ensuing tangle of bodies, the 110-times capped international reeled over clutching his face. Brown brought the lacklustre friendly to life as Parma team-mates rushed to the scene while Couto, 38, made a rapid recovery to challenge the Celtic midfielder with the customary shove. Unusually, for a friendly, both players were booked by referee Iain Brines shortly before half-time and Couto failed to reappear following the break which, perhaps, told its own story.
Brown shrugged it all off with the nonchalance of a veteran. But it is his temperament that has been called into question on several occasions.
However, manager Gordon Strachan disclosed that it was the player’s “determination” that prompted him to take interest in signing the talented midfielder whom he recognises can develop further.
He said at the press conference to welcome Brown to Parkhead: “His football assets are well known, but there is a determination about him, and he’s young and is going to get better.”
The signs are that Brown’s exciting pace and ability will thrill the crowds as he progresses. Last season, despite a turbulent time of transfer requests, speculation and a player revolt when the Hibs squad protested about manager John Collins’ management style Brown broke into the Scotland set-up. He earned his first competitive start in a European Championship qualifier against Italy in Bari’s Stadio San Nicola in March. And in the same month he helped his Hibs team-mates to their first League Cup final win in 16 years with a 5-1 demolition of Kilmarnock at Hampden.
Now that he’s had a taste of success, Brown admits he is thirsting for more and pointed out that it can only benefit his Scotland ambitions.
He said: "I have the desire and hunger to play for Scotland as many times as possible. Gary Caldwell, Steven Pressley, big Stephen McManus and Paul Hartley are all playing week in, week out for Celtic and Scotland and that’s what I want.
“I was delighted to win a trophy [League Cup] that had not been done for 16 years [by Hibs] and I was proud to be there when we won it.”
Brown revealed that despite rumoured interest from Premiership clubs, once Celtic came calling there was no question about his destination.
“Celtic won the double of League and Cup and made it to the last 16 of the Champions League,” he said, "I couldn’t say no to these challenges.
“There was nothing [from the Premiership] and when I spoke to Peter [Lawwell chief executive] and Gordon [Strachan] that was my mind made up I wanted to play for Celtic.”
Another example of Brown’s confidence is that he readily set himself an ambitious target of double figures for goals this season, rather than the common player reaction of bodyswerving any numbers.
He said: “It gives everybody a lift, scoring, especially midfielders. A target of 15 for the season is scary, but double figures is a wee bit of a target. I scored nine last season, so I would be delighted to get double figures.”
Brown is all too aware of the greater level of support he will receive from his new team-mates to prize open defences and supply the ammunition for his strikes.
"It is helpful to play with players who are phenomenal on the ball like Massimo [Donati] and Paul Hartley.
“We all want to play on the ball. We play the ball from the back and everyone gets a touch. Aiden McGeady has the most ability I’ve ever seen from a young player on the ball, defenders just don’t know what to do [against him].”
Brown gave an indication of just how much he wants the ball in games in a second-half incident against Parma. He eased himself into some inviting space on the left wing in front of the main stand and bellowed for the ball to be switched to him from the far side of the pitch. Instead, the pass was safe and made inside provoking a furious response from the Scotland international as he yelled at the skies in frustration.
Brown is certainly far from being overshadowed in the environs of Celtic and it is perhaps testimony to his abilities that both halves of the Old Firm stalked his signature until Rangers were outbid. Rangers chairman David Murray disclosed that they abandoned their interest after balking at Brown’s reported salary of 25,000 per week.
“I wouldn’t pay the wages for him , it’s as simple as that,” said Murray. "If he’s on the wages that have been reported and I stress that last part then you have appearance payments and a massive signing-on fee, how would that leave us with other players?
"Would the young Scottish players we have be happy to sign new contracts when they were getting less than half what another young Scottish player was being paid?
"We have a template and that will involve a core of young Scottish players with potential and three or four better foreigners. If we have a young boy coming into the first team he can look forward to earning 2,000 to 3,000-a-week. That’s good money.
"If he does well, he can expect it to rise to 4,000 then 5,000-per-week. If he’s in the side and doing well and he is a regular, he’ll be in the five-figure bracket and, once bonuses come into it, he’d be looking at 16,000-a-week. Celtic choose to do things differently and that’s their business.
“We could have afforded the fee for Brown. Once the agent’s fee went in, that would have gone up to around 5m and the total, including wages, would have been around 12m for someone who is a good young player.”
Brown’s move to Celtic ahead of Rangers could prove pivotal in the quest for this season’s Premierleague title with that record transfer fee, in Strachan’s own words, turning out to be “not a bad bit of business” by the end of the campaign.
Rangers may have to rue an expensive decision in the Old Firm’s annual cash-for-honours battle.