Celtic manager Neil Lennon has refused to rule out a new contract being handed to Scott Brown despite his advancing years, The Evening Times report.
The club captain signed a new contract extension back in January. It’s a deal that sees him stay at the club until the summer of 2021, by which time he’ll be on the verge of turning 36.
With his superb form driving Celtic on in three competitions so far this season, Lennon is again fielding questions about his long-term future.
However, while leaving the door open on a potential new contract, the manager is in no rush to make a decision on that issue.
As quoted by The Evening Times, Lennon explained: “It will depend on how he’s feeling and how he’s playing at the time. He’s got another year after this one.
“We’ll take a view of that maybe this time next year, with him as well. But, the way he’s playing at the minute, it might cost us a few bob!”
No guarantees
Although we can all recognise that Brown is as important as ever in a Celtic shirt, Lennon is spot on with his time frame of a contract decision.
Clearly if he keeps up current performances then Lennon will want him to stick around. His comments above make that obvious.
However, when players reach their mid-thirties there’s simply no guarantees and it’d be silly to hand out a new deal early because he’s shown good form again this season.
The player might not even be ready to make that commitment either. His 2021 contract takes him to the end of a potential ten-in-a-row season, which would be a very fitting time to bow out of first-team action.
Brown is likely the last person to be thinking beyond this Thursday’s match against Lazio, never mind 2021.
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