Scott Brown will make his 500th start as a Celtic player in Sunday’s derby against Rangers. The Hoops captain who joined from Hibs for £4.4million in 2007 has 523 appearances in total for Celtic, with 24 coming off the bench.
The 33 year-old has scored 40 goals and picked up 96 booking in his time at the club but his legacy will be the trophies won. Brown has lifted 18 honours in total, with 17 of them coming in his time as captain.
The midfielder will join an iconic 500 club featuring the likes of Billy McNeill, Paul McStay and Roy Aitken.
A successor to Brown
It goes without saying that Celtic’s mercurial captain will be missed when he moves on. Brown has been the closest thing to Mr Celtic over the past decade, leading the club through good and bad times. His departure will signal the end of an era at Celtic Park.
It’s crucial that Celtic have a ready made replacement for both his position and presence when he moves on. Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor are both obvious candidates to fill the void as leader, with the latter also able to play the same role.
Kristoffer Ajer is another young contender who has shown potential as a leader. However the Norwegian may not be around long enough to realise that potential.
Like Brown, the next Celtic captain doesn’t have to be the most talented player in the team. He just has to have the trust and support of his teammates.
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