The Coronavirus has stopped Celtic’s bid for their 9th title in a row. However, various leagues across Europe seem committed to complete their ongoing season instead of jumping on to the next one. The break will also give some players time to recharge themselves for what could be a frantic period of football when it resumes.
Lennon recently went on to lavish praise on club captain Scott Brown. There were strong reports that Brown could move to Australia to play in the A-League and Lennon mentioned that could have been a disaster for the Hoops.
Lennon praises Brown
The Northern Irish manager said (Glasgow Live), “I wasn’t here at the time, but when I heard talk about him possibly going to Australia, I thought it would have been a disaster. This wee break might do Scott the world of good. He is looking well and has had a great season so far. He will be around next year, that’s for sure. He would be a huge loss to us as a club if he stopped playing. The way he has played, and the way he leads on and off the park has been exemplary. He sets the template for all of the other players.”
The manager also implied that a coaching role would be open for him at Parkhead once he decides to hang up his boots.
Brown’s impact so far
Even though he is 34, Brown has already made 50 appearances for Celtic in all competitions this season. Not many expected him to play regularly at this stage of his career. Quite a few thought that Lennon would have to manage his game time to get the best out of him, but Brown has continued to be his usual old self by putting in professional displays week in week out.
Brown might be seen as a villain outside of Celtic, but he is a kind of player every team would love to have at their disposal. His leadership, experience and ability to control the midfield battle continues to stand out. Celtic haven’t been complacent in the league games, and they have been relentless since the winter break.
A lot of it has to do with the winner’s mentality, and Brown definitely plays a significant role in that as he has been part of 9 league title wins at Celtic Park already. The veteran midfielder has his contract at the club until 2021 and Lennon indicated clearly that he would stay until the next season. If he continues to do well, we think that maybe we might see him get another year’s extension. However, that would likely depend on what Brown would want for himself.
