Hoops skipper is well up for another battle
From the cauldron of yesterday’s Old Firm showdown to the heat of Tuesday night’s Champions League opener in the Nou Camp.
It will be quite a few days for Scott Brown.
Celtic’s 2012 Champions League victory over Barcelona is secure in its position as one of the club’s greatest nights
Yet for Brown, it is one that will always have mixed memories for him.
“I was meant to be in the team instead of Miku but missed it because I was sick,” he recalled.
“It must have been some dodgy food, because I was spewing in the hotel before the game and had to leave pre-match.
“I watched the game in the house and I kept having to run upstairs to be sick.
“I had the shakes, too. I wasn’t sure if that was the illness or because the lads were holding on for the win.
“It was nerve-wracking. Who would have thought Xavi would have miscontrolled the ball and Tony Watt would have scored the winner?
“At the same time, I knew the lads had it in them to get over the line.
“So it probably worked out for the best.
“Who knows, if I’d have played, we maybe would have lost 4-0! You need to take the positives out of a negative situation.”
With Celtic and Barcelona the most familiar of foes due to a run of Euro draws which have continually pitted the clubs together, the 31-year-old has plenty of experience against the Catalan giants.
Not all of it positive.
The 6-1 thrashing at the Nou Camp under Neil Lennon in 2013-14 wasn’t the best, while his sending off for kicking out against Brazilian star Neymar in an otherwise very close home game that same season was a personal low point.
“It was a red card. Do I regret it? Of course,” admitted Brown.
“It was one of those ones where he has made the most of it, but I shouldn’t have done it.
“So it is what it is, but I have had a lot of experiences against Barca.”
From speaking to him, it is clear Brown’s enthusiasm for Celtic’s midweek opponents remains undiminished.
“They are the best team I have ever played against. It’s the way they keep the ball and their movement,” he said.
“Andres Iniestia, Xavi when they were in their prime. Lionel Messi was unbelievable, too.
“We have done well against them at Celtic Park a few times but this is a different era now.
“They are going forward with a new manager and do things slightly differently.
“They play the way we want to. So it will be a great insight for us.
“But we need to go and play, too, and be brave on the ball.
“If not it is going to be a long night.”