Having followed Celtic around Europe through the foreign newspapers for the past few years, we’ve noticed that there’s one player every single country is fascinated by, and that’s Scott Brown.
While some have been less pleasant about the Scottish Premiership champions’ captain than others, the French have nothing but respect for the 32-year-old.
Why? Because he represents everything Celtic is about.
Every famed club needs that flag bearer, that talisman, and that’s exactly what the midfielder has been since he arrived from Hibernian in 2007.
Trying to describe Brown to their French readers ahead of the Champions League clash at Celtic Park on Tuesday night, L’Equipe asked José-Pierre Karl Fanfan, who commentates the club’s games on Foot+.
He said: “Brown is a warrior who never gives up, regardless of how the game is panning out. Just looking at him, he’s impressive, especially during games at Celtic Park: clearly, the atmosphere transcends him, to the point where you feel a few wires have snapped and he’s not fully in control (smiles).”
Picking up more yellow cards than any other player in the league since 2007, Scott Brown might be prone to the odd moment of madness, but that doesn’t mean he is less respected for it.
Diomansy Kamara, who played alongside him in 2010, was very clear about that.
He explained: “He’s a guy who always sets an example. In training, you’ll always see him in shorts and a t-shirt, even when it’s snowing. He never stops, and in games, he gets stuck in and rallies the troops when things don’t go our way.”
He might be incredibly serious on the pitch and in training, but Steven Mouyokolo, who was at Celtic between 2013-2014, described him as a ‘joker’ in the dressing room, who ‘won’t let strange fashion choices slide’.
These are the reasons why Scott Brown manages to fascinate the foreign media so much: he’s a fan favourite and is respected by his teammates in one of the most iconic clubs around the world.
Becoming a Celtic legend is never easy, but the 32-year-old is well on his way, if he isn’t already.
