Celtic boss Neil Lennon says Scott Brown will definitely be around for next season

Celtic captain Scott Brown will turn 35 this summer but, according to manager Neil Lennon, the midfielder will still be leading the Hoops out next season and, quite possibly, for a while after that.

Lennon insists that it would have damaged the champions if he had left for Australia in January of last year, when he decided to reject a move to Western Melbourne, and he’s in no rush to lose the veteran’s influence.

The Irishman uses Brown, who last night posted a best- wishes video clip to supporters urging them to stay safe, as a sounding board to gauge the mood of his squad.

“He’s looking well and, as you’ll have seen, he’s had a great season so far so he’ll be around next year, that’s for sure,” Lennon insisted.

“I think he would be a huge loss to us as a club if he stopped playing now. The way he’s played this season and the way he leads the lads on and off the park, he’s been exemplary. Plus this extra wee break might just do him the world of good.

“I speak to Scott all the time about things. He’s my go-to guy in the squad about a range of subjects. I couldn’t ask for a better captain than him, to be honest.

“He tells you how the dressing room is feeling about a certain situation or whatever and you go from there. All the players in the squad respect him and he’s a huge figure at the club.”

Brown was already the skipper when Lennon first took hold of the reins at Parkhead a decade ago but his influence has grown since then.

“He has a bigger role this time around than in my first spell as manager,” he revealed. “He’s a few years older, obviously, and he’s won so much in the game.

“Scott’s led the squad to so much success and has also matured into a great lad and great player so it’s only right that I speak to him about things.

“He sets the template at this club for all of the players. In training, he still has that great desire to work hard and all the boys take their lead from him as their captain.

“You can’t give him that, or coach it into someone – that’s something which was already built into him. He not only wants to keep pushing himself but also the team on to bigger and better things.

“During this spell of not playing – but also whenever we have games coming up – if Scott suspects even the slightest bit of complacency then he nips it in the bud straight away. Players listen to him and he’s a great role model to everyone in the team.”

Brendan Rodgers was still in charge when Brown chose not to go down under 14 months ago and he claimed that Brown, if he had emigrated, should have a place on the coaching staff at Lennoxtown when he returned.

Lennon is equally keen that Brown’s experience shouldn’t be lost to the club.

“I wasn’t here at the time but when I heard the talk about him possibly going to Australia, I thought it would have been a disaster for Celtic,” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, when he stops playing, there will be a coaching role for Scott here at the club – I would offer him something straight away.

“For me, it’s the obvious path for him in the future. He’s doing his badges at the minute and I would definitely want him around the place once he hangs up his boots.”