Scott Brown enjoyed a Celtic career filled with tremendous achievements as he led the club from the front in his midfield role under several different managers.
With 22 trophies to his name at Parkhead, he ranks third in the Bhoys’ all-time most decorated players list, having only Billy McNeil and Bobby Lennox ahead of him, two bastions of excellence at Celtic.
During his time in Glasgow, Brown racked up 661 appearances, registering 46 goals and 63 assists across all competitions [Transfermarkt].
Despite this, there was a period in 2016 where his form looked to be on a downward trajectory before Brendan Rodgers gave the former Scotland skipper a new lease of life during his first tenure in charge.
Following a brief spell as Aberdeen captain and assistant coach combined, he then moved to cut his teeth in management, spending over a year at Sky Bet League One outfit Fleetwood Town.
Fast forward to 2024, Brown finds himself at Scottish Championship side Ayr United, sitting sixth in our nation’s second tier.
Few players in the future will ever be able to replicate the legacy Brown left upon leaving Celtic in 2021, and if his managerial skills are half as good as his talent on the field, he won’t have a bad career in the dugout.
Scott Brown’s Celtic career rejuvenation under Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers set an extremely high barometer in his first time in charge at Celtic, and as a result of his work, Brown was a completely different animal in 2016/17 from the season previous, captaining the Bhoys to their famous Invincible Treble.
Speaking to the Scottish Football Podcast, he opened up on the gruelling fitness regimes Rodgers implemented at Lennoxtown; meanwhile, Brown also discussed his incremental improvement under the Irishman.
He stated: “I was lucky enough when Brendan came in at the right time. I was kind of maybe on the downward under Ronny. My whole game was based on fitness. Small details like that, and we were brilliant for 60 to 65 minutes under Ronny and couldn’t maintain that standard.
“The amount of goals we lost late on in games was due to fitness and nothing else. Brendan comes in and changes everything. Pre-season was disgusting. Yes, everybody says it was with the ball.
“Yes, it was, but it was disgusting, but that is what made Brendan’s team good. It just wasn’t like running here and there. There was a tactical understanding of the game.”
Celtic were a well-oiled machine in 2016/17 that couldn’t be stopped by anyone the Scottish domestic scene had to offer, and an achievement such as theirs is unlikely ever to be repeated, here or anywhere else in the world.
Looking back, there are memories to cherish for a lifetime from that season; however, Rodgers is in contention to win two pieces of silverware in the modern day, signifying there are even more to be made as we approach the end of 2023/24.