"You need to stay true to yourself" as Celtic captain, claims Stephen McManus

By Euan Davidson

May 8, 2021

Scott Brown hasn’t changed, and that’s what made him a great Celtic captain.

That’s the verdict from another man who’s held the honour of leading the Bhoys. Stephen McManus, talking to Celtic’s in-house press, made some bold but thoughtful claims about the legacy of Scott Brown.

Of course, as we all know, since taking the armband in 2010, Broony has embarked an incredible era. Overall, he’s won 22 trophies in the Hoops, and will go down as one of our greatest-ever captains.

That success is down to self-awareness, and moulding the armband to fit the individual, claims McManus. Discussing the captaincy and Broony’s impact, McManus said [Celtic FC]:

“It’s not something every player gets to do and it’s all about how you react to that honour.

“The most important thing was that Scott didn’t change, and I think that’s crucial to the person who’s bestowed with that honour – you need to stay true to yourself. Scott’s always done that. He’s matured, he’s relished the responsibility of it and, again, that just shows his professionalism.”

“He’s also very protective of his team-mates, he’s a very loyal captain, that’s something which probably goes a little unnoticed, everything he does is for the benefit of the team.

“Even when Scott first came to the club as a young player, when he first signed, it was always about the team it was never about him. He’s always maintained that and that’s partly why he’s been so successful here.”

Scott Brown, the outgoing Celtic captain /. (Photo by Scott Baxter/Getty Images)

Former Celtic captain compares Broony to Henrik Larsson

McManus wasn’t done there.

Talking about the impact of Broony’s Celtic stay, the former centre-back, now in the coaching staff, compared the no.8 to a famous no.7.

McManus continued [Celtic FC]:

“Scott is going to leave a massive, massive void.

“It’s not just about what Scott brings to the football pitch, I think that’s clear for everyone to see – anyone who’s educated in the game, whether that’s fans of Celtic or other teams – you know what he brings on the pitch.

“Scott will be sadly missed. I was here at Celtic when Henrik left – the club will move on, there’s absolutely no doubt about that, but Scott is going to leave behind such a big hole in the process.

“But there’s just so much more to him than what he does on the pitch. It’s his personality, the way he conducts himself on the training ground, in the building, what people think of him, he’s as inspirational a figure as I’ve ever come across in football. So many people look up to him.”

It’s certainly true that Celtic will miss the long-tenured captain. It’ll be a bizarre sight to see him not wearing the famous Green and White. Under Stephen Glass, Brown will be in a brand-new role, assisting the manager from the centre of the park. His leadership, especially in guiding younger players into the first-team, has been – and will be – instrumental.

When he makes his Celtic bow against St Johnstone, it’ll be a very strange feeling indeed.

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