Celtic may have to start preparing for life without their captain Scott Brown as it’s been reported he is considering a contract offer from Australia.
The 33 year old’s contract runs out in the summer and he has an offer from the A-League down under according to Sky Sports.
It would be a huge blow for Celtic to lose their captain. However, if they manage to hold off until the summer, the blow would be softened immeasurably.
Brown has been a permanent fixture in the team for almost all of his Celtic career. Signed in 2007 for £4.4m from Hibs, he went on to become Celtic’s captain three years later.
This season, Brown has been in and out of the team, and many say that during our best form of the season, Brown’s absence was a reason for this.
The midfielder has made 501 appearances for Celtic and scored 37 goals. Whatever way you look at it, his loss would be a considerable blow.
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However, by delaying his exit until the summer at the earliest, Brown can help the club mould his successor.
Callum McGregor has been outstanding in Brown’s role this season. They are two completely different players, but McGregor has proven himself capable of fulfilling the role vacated by the skipper.
Celtic missed McGregor most in midfield on Saturday. He still managed to be Celtic’s best player from an unnatural left back position.
However, he could be do with adding some tenacity to his game. Learning from Brown until the end of the season would be no bad thing.
McGregor is a far superior footballer to Brown, but in terms of influence on the team (and on games) Brown has a lot of knowledge the former could learn from.
Going out in style
Brown may not be what Celtic need in their midfield anymore. However, his influence is certainly essential to the club.
He’s had a stellar Celtic career and matured from a young boy to an experienced campaigner. He’s been one of Brendan Rodgers’ most consistent performers since 2016.
He will go down as a Celtic legend in years to come and he deserves the chance to make history again.
By delaying his departure until June, the captain can stay and help his team mates go for an unprecedented treble treble.