Gordon Strachan has insisted Scott Brown ’s crowning moment as an Aberdeen player might prove to the goal that wins Celtic another title.
Speaking exclusively to Record Sport , Strachan paid a glowing tribute to the Nine in a Row Parkhead skipper after we broke the news online that Brown has terminated his contract at Aberdeen and looks set to hang up his boots for good in order to focus on a career in management.
Brown has quit the Pittodrie club after being told by new boss Jim Goodwin that he would have no role in the club’s coaching team going forward if he did decide to see out the second year of his contract.
But even though the 36-year-old has left before the end of his first season in the north east, Strachan believes his diving header at ibrox - which ultimately earned the Dons a 2-2 draw back in October - could yet prove to be a defining moment as this season’s battle for the title goes down to the wire.
Strachan - who signed Brown for Celtic from Hibs in 2007 - said: “It will be interesting to see what Scott does from here but if you look back at his career there were some great goals, great passes, great tackles. Even this season at Aberdeen he scored that diving header at Ibrox against Rangers. So he’s still helping even now by taking two points off Rangers!
“Can you just imagine if Celtic end up winning this title by just one point? He’s the guy who keeps on giving.”
Brown’s trophy haul over 14 years at Celtic Park makes him one of the most decorated players in the history of Scottish football.
And Strachan is hopeful that his former portage can now forge himself a successful career in the dugout.
He went on: “Management is a different thing altogether and everyone knows that. We’ve seen great players who haven’t managed to do it.
“There’s a bit of luck involved in that and you definitely have to make sure you’re surrounded by good people. That’s the advice I would give to any young coach. That’s the secret.
“And that’s exactly what Scott has always been. I think we spent £4m to bring him to Celtic from Hibs and that’s probably as good a £4m as the club has spent.
“He had a gift for making people around him great and that’s what makes him special. I don’t know how many medals were won over his time at the club by how many people. But I do know, a lot of it was down to him.”
Record Sport broke the news online that Brown was on the verge of making a shock decision to call time on his playing career at Pittodrie.
Those negotiations lasted for most of the day before and, at 5pm on Tuesday, the club confirmed that Brown has left with immediate effect less than a year after signing up to be part of the ill-fated Stephen Glass revolution - on the pitch and off it.
In the statement Brown said: “I would like to take this opportunity to firstly thank the Board at Aberdeen and, of course, Stephen Glass and his backroom staff, for giving me the opportunity to enjoy my first taste of coaching.
“I’d also like to thank all my team-mates and the great staff both at Cormack Park and Pittodrie.
“I know I was only in the North-east for a short period, but the fans made me feel welcome from day one, so my thanks must also go to them for showing me so much support.”
Brown declined to give Goodwin a name check and there was no public farewell from the manager either.
Instead, Director of Football Steven Gunn, said: “Scott has been an outstanding asset to us in the last eleven months and his contributions, both on and off the pitch, have been invaluable..”
