There’s been plenty of talk about Scott Brown and his constant inclusion in the team this season, but there will come a point where someone will need to replace him.
You imagine that the transition will be gradual so it will be a case of phasing him out rather than suddenly trying to move on, so there’s no sign of him leaving the club this summer.
Callum McGregor is the man that many expect to step up and take on the leadership responsibilities when Broony does leave but it’s clear that he doesn’t want him to go anywhere just now.
Some of his comments were picked up by The Herald, and it’s clear just how important Brown is to the changing room in terms of his personality:
“He has a huge impact, and write him off at your peril, because he’s going to come back. He’s done it a few times now, and certainly the game against Kilmarnock, I thought he was the best player on the pitch. He was absolutely outstanding.
“The thing with Scott is that people underestimate how good a footballer he is and how good his football brain is.
“He plays in that position so well. He can take it, turn and play forward. He knows the position so well defensively, and he gives us a real base.
“Then there’s all the other leadership qualities that he has, and you can see it rubbing off on the team.
“I think he’s always going to have value to the club. Obviously, I don’t want to speak about what he should do or what he is going to do, that’s up to Scott.
“If we are lucky enough to get him for another year then that would be a brilliant decision, but if he decides something else then you have to respect that as well.”
It could be an interesting decision for a new manager to make if Neil Lennon is replaced in the summer, as sometimes it’s important to put down a marker and show everyone that things have changed.
Doing that could also upset the changing room but there’s a feeling that the discipline has gone and perhaps the players have too much power just now, so it would also be a chance to start with a clean slate too.
It would make sense to keep him on and perhaps rest him against some of the weaker teams to keep him fresh and allow the team to get used to life without him, but his future is still up in the air just now.