Former Celtic midfielder Stillian Petrov has called on the Parkhead hierarchy to do everything in their power to keep captain Scott Brown at the club for as long as possible, as it would be impossible to replace such an ‘iconic player’.
Brown, who made his 500th appearance for Celtic in their 3-0 win over Motherwell on Wednesday, is in the final year of his contract and there is the real possibility that he could accept an offer from the A-League’s Western Melbourne to finish his career down under, rather than extend his current deal.
Despite Brown in the twilight years of his playing career, Petrov still believes that Brown can produce the goods on the pitch for a few more years but he could prove to be invaluable off the pitch by helping and guiding the young players coming through the ranks.
Petrov said: “Scott is such a big figure around the club. He is iconic and you don’t get many iconic players these days. It would be foolish to write him off. When he plays he still dominates games and could easily go on for another few years. He still looks strong and hungry. Players like Scott are so important to the club.
“He’s been loyal, he has played through injuries at times and always gives everything. He deserves to be at the club as long as possible. You can’t replace a guy like Scott so why would you want to? Scott is such a huge influence on and off the pitch at Celtic. I look at the example of Paul Lambert.
“In his past couple of years he wasn’t playing as regularly. There would be games he would sit out, or maybe start and come off, but he was always around the place playing a major role. It didn’t matter if he was playing or not – he demanded high standards of every player. He led by example in training and on the pitch.
“Paul played a huge role in helping the young players, showing them how to be professionals – showing them how to be a Celtic player. It’s not always just about what these guys do on the pitch. Paul could still do it on the pitch as well, just like Scott now, but there is nothing but plus points having these kind of characters around the club.”
Do you think Celtic should extend Brown’s contract at the club? Can Celtic replace such an influential player? Is Brown’s time up at Celtic? Let us know your thoughts.