It’s fair to say that Celtic captain Scott Brown hasn’t been at his best this season and has recently found himself becoming a bit-part player being replaced by the likes of Ismaila Soro.
At this stage, it is also uncertain what the Hoops number eight will do come to the end of the season with moving on or retiring looking like an ever more likely outcome.
As quoted by the Daily Record, if he was to go out, former Celt Andy Lynch has backed the captain to go out in a similar fashion or legendary captain Billy McNeil, who also couldn’t reach that famous achievement of 10 in a row similar to Brown this season and bowed out with a Scottish Cup victory.
“Billy McNeill was an icon so we were more determined than ever that he would be able to celebrate it as captain.
“Billy had won so many honours so it was a fitting end but professional football doesn’t always work out like that and if we didn’t win that cup final I’d like to think he would have been remembered for all the trophies he lifted.
“I would say the same for Scott Brown and if he doesn’t bow out on a high with the Scottish Cup – which now looks like their only realistic chance of silverware – then he’d reflect on what he has achieved rather than ending in disappointment.
“If that’s as good as it gets for him then he’s luckier than most. He’s had a great run and done well. I’m sorry but sentiment and football simply don’t go together.
“Billy played a big part to win that 1975 Scottish Cup final. It wasn’t a case of playing him in the hope of a winning send-off. Scott Brown, while I’m not saying his career is over or anything like that is not as good as he has been.
“I’m not sure that’s why Celtic want to win the Scottish Cup but it might be why HE wants to win it. Knowing the competitor he is, there will be a desire within him to prove he is worthy of a place in the team and end on a high.”
Whilst Brown will have never reached the heights of someone like Billy McNeil, no one ever will and the current captain will go down as a modern-day Celtic legend there is no doubt about that.
We may have failed to get over the line but Brown will forever go down in the history books and be remembered fondly for his unbelievable spell at Parkhead that seen him notch up 19 trophies at this stage.
