DEDICATION EQUALS DOMINATION
Brown: Players’ hard graft is the secret behind our glory season
SCOTT BROWN has lifted the lid on the secret sacrifices that led his Celtic team to become legends.
The Parkhead captain is enjoying a hard-earned break between end-ofseason club commitments and Scotland duty ahead of next week’s clash against England.
During his time off Brown is finally afforded an opportunity to reflect on the magic of the term just passed.
Under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, Celtic smashed records left, right and centre.
Record points and goal tallies were destroyed as the Hoops marched to six in a row without losing a single game in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
In adding success in the William Hill Scottish Cup and the Betfred League Cup Brown and his colleagues were able to collect just a fourth Treble in the club’s history and do so with an Invincible record stretching over 47 games.
Chuck into the mix a return to the group stages of the Champions League after a three-year absence and there is much for Brown to feel great satisfaction over.
However, the success of Celtic didn’t happen by chance.
Rodgers and his management team implemented brave and bold new structures the players were able to take on board and deliver.
That took understanding, hard work and most of all dedication.
The time afforded to the project was plentiful.
Brown takes great pride from the fact he was able to lift three trophies in a stellar season but just as much excitement from the knowledge it took real graft to turn the dreams into reality. He said: “I am proud but it’s down to the lads who are at the club that I am still playing.
“They worked so hard throughout the season and dedicated themselves throughout.
“Whether that was having nights out or going into training because there were not that many days off.
“You don’t see your family as much but the dedication has paid off.
“In the first six months we had to get as fit as possible. We came back not the fittest and the gaffer was on about everyone’s body fat.
“We managed to get that down 10 or 12 per cent in the whole squad. That shows the dedication and effort that was put into it.
“The gaffer stuck to his ways and he’s wanted us to play good, attacking and attractive football.
“We managed to do it through the season and got ourselves a lot fitter than we have ever been. Turning up on big occasions, we thrive on them.”
Celtic proved their workrate and talent time and time again over the campaign and continued to do so until the very end. In the season’s finale at the Scottish Cup Final last weekend they were tested to the extreme by Derek McInnes’s Aberdeen. Rodgers needed the players to implement their game management and calm approach which he had instilled. With that completed through the first hour, attention then turned to the hard work and fitness regime to give them the legs to carry them over the line. Tom Rogic’s injury-time winner encapsulated the entire season and Brown said: “That last-minute goal in the Final showed our fitness. “We were creating chances in the second half. Fair play to Aberdeen as they gave it everything but we came straight back after a losing a goal. “We managed to beat Aberdeen six times in the one season and the Cup Final at the end was the hardest one of the lot but that’s because they are a great team with great pace. “They pushed us all the way in the league and also in both of the cup competitions. “You have to play in cup finals to be the best and they did it twice. I was getting ready for extra time but it just showed Tom’s fitness.
“People say he’s not the fittest but he was still going strong and putting energy into running defenders into the ground and finishing with his bad foot in injury time said it all.
“We believe no matter how fit anyone else is our fitness is better. We showed throughout the season in various games and we dug ourselves out of a few holes.”
In doing so Brown and his team have gone down in history.
Winning a treble was one thing. Doing so unbeaten domestically in the 50th anniversary year of the Lisbon Lions was something else.
Brown said: “If someone does it again fair play to them. There are always hard games throughout a season and moments when things can go against you. “John Clark giving out the medals at the end at Hampden was great for him and for us. He’s still in there, still doing his kit and loves the club.
“Next season is the big one. We have Champions League qualifiers early doors so we need to be ready.
“The season will go down in history and it is going to be hard for anyone else to emulate. But we have a tremendous bunch of lads and you could not ask for it to happen to a better group.
“That goes for everyone at the club, not just the players. The backroom staff, everyone. For us as the players, of course it is special.
“To do something and hopefully be remembered in 50 years time like Clarky and his team were is a phenomenal feeling.”
We believe, no matter how fit anyone else is, our fitness is better