Departing Celtic captain Scott Brown has admitted that it is just sinking in that he is leaving the club after a 14-year stay at the Hoops.
As quoted by the Daily Record, with Brown preparing to start his role as player/assistant manager at Aberdeen, he expressed that he believes now was the right time to move on from the club and have a new beginning elsewhere.
“It’s sinking in now. I had 14 fantastic seasons at the club and enjoyed every single moment of it.
“But I felt it was the right time and the right opportunity to move on.
“Aberdeen’s a fantastic club, and I know Stephen and Allan really well. I’m looking forward to actually getting onto the training field with the lads, as well as playing.
“It’s the right time for me to move on. I feel like I can still play football and get through 90 minutes and help out the lads on the park.
“It’s a huge challenge, but I’m enjoying the backroom stuff we’re doing just now.
“Looking at budgets, bringing in players, having to speak to players agents.
“I’m enjoying that part and seeing how the club works. It’s different parts of the game that you maybe take a little bit for granted as a player.”
I am sure the majority of Celtic fans will agree; it will be bizarre to see Brown in the Aberdeen red next season.
Although it would have probably been good to keep the 35-year old around with the massive rebuild we have on our hands this summer, but it makes sense in many ways that he decided to move on.
Beginning his role as a coach whilst continuing his playing career sounds like the ideal situation for a player of Brown’s character.
Who knows, maybe one day we will see him return to the club one day in the future.
It’s sinking in for us all mate, in equal measure. Scott Brown is not going to be replaced anytime soon. The best captain in my lifetime since McStay and the second best captain in Celtic’s history – and only just! How do you replace that?