HIGHLIGHTS from Scott Brown’s wide-ranging interview with Celtic TV…
BROONY ON CHOOSING CELTIC
“I had a couple of offers to go down to England. I had an offer to go to Rangers and an offer to come to Celtic. For me, I sat down with the managers and coaches once the bids were accepted from Hibs.
“I sat down with Gordon, and me and Gordon connected really well. He believed in me and he wanted to build the team around myself, Aiden (McGeady) and a few of the younger ones that were coming through like Stephen McManus, Darren O’Dea and he was bringing in Scott McDonald as well.
“So I think the trust that he already put in me to sign me and for him to say that I was going to be part of his plans for the next two or three years going down the line, I think that was what was going to be exciting for me.”
BROONY ON UNDER-ESTIMATING CELTIC
“I think I underestimated coming to Celtic. We used to play against Celtic when I was at Hibs and we got a few good results. We went to Celtic Park and Ibrox and beat them a couple of times.
“So I thought ‘you just jump ship and see what happens’. So I went from one SPL team to another and the expectation levels is night and day.
“Coming to this club, they expect you to win the first game but we drew with Kilmarnock. I was like ‘first game of the season lads, it’s not bad’. Folk were turning around going, ‘it’s Kilmarnock! We drew, we should be battering them.’
“And I’m like, ‘it’s a point!’
“Then you hear the fans. Automatically you’ve got to win. They expect nothing else than 100 per cent, go and win. Especially in the league as well, no matter who it is we’ve got to go and play attractive football. This year is getting better and better with the manager that has come in.
“You see the things that everyone is producing and the way that we’re performing.
“Once, when I was coming through at Hibs, you would win a game, you’d lose a game. The fans weren’t on your back too much and didn’t expect you to go and challenge Rangers and Celtic because we were a young team.
“Then you come to 60,000 fans week in, week out and if you make a bad pass or it goes out of the park, the fans are on top of you.
“You’ve got to have that bottle to keep doing it, and keep doing what you believe in and not let people get into your head especially.”
BROONY ON TOMMY BURNS
“Tommy used to text me all the time, saying ‘you don’t want to be going to that dark side pal!’
“I knew Tommy from Scotland. It was Tommy, Coisty, Walter – the three of them – and they got on unbelievably together. I don’t think a lot of people could understand how a Celtic man and two Rangers men could get on so well.
“They went to Tommy’s funeral and everything, so it showed you the kind of spirit Tommy had and the belief he had in everyone as well.
“But for me, Tommy was hugely important in it as well. He was sitting there texting away, saying ‘you know I’m going to be joining your boxes, I’m going to make you even better than you already are because you’re playing with a guy that’s got a great left foot and you can learn everything from me!’
“You could listen to Tommy’s stories for ages and the way he talks and gets up and sings as well was fantastic.
“You know you could always go and speak to Tommy. The manager at the time, I was 21, so you can’t just go straight into his office and start talking to him.
“So Tommy at the time was the man between and for me it was a perfect combination. I got on really well with the gaffer and then Tommy you could always have a little bit of banter and carry on with.
“But then there was always a line as well when you went on the park he demanded the best.”
BROONY ON FINISHING HIS PLAYING CAREER
“People always ask me, especially living in Edinburgh, if I’ll go back to Hibs one day. I don’t see it. I enjoy being at Celtic, I couldn’t think of any other place to be just now.
“For me, Peter (Lawwell) has been fantastic with me, the managers have been fantastic and to give something back whether it’s coaching or helping out the kids, it means a lot for me to still be here after ten years and hopefully I can push it for a few more.”
Gimme Five! Celtic’s first ever Scottish Cup semi-final v Rangers
