Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
KT’S THE MAN TO REPLACE IRON BROONIE
SCOTT BROWN might not feel the cold but the skipper standing down from Scotland duty has sent a chill down Tartan Army spines.
And James Forrest reckons there is another ice-cool Celtic star who can handle the heat of leading the national side.
A couple of pictures last week summed up Brown’s refusal to freeze either on the big stage or sub-zero streets.
The Celtic captain was laughing off hefty hits while leading his side to victory in Aberdeen on Sunday just days after another snap of him strolling around St Petersburg in minus-11 temperatures wearing just a T-shirt went viral.
Forrest reckons both snapshots were typical of the man.
He said: “That’s Broony. I don’t think he owns a jacket!
“Those two things last week just sum him up and I don’t think he’ll ever change.
“If you could sum up Broony that would be the clip. He’s off his head.”
He’s also hard to replace but Forrest knows who new boss Alex Mcleish could have up his sleeve. Kieran Tierney was handed the armband by stand-in manager Malky Mackay for November’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Holland.
And Forrest said: “KT (above) was excellent in the Netherlands game – he was only 20 at the time and captain.
“It would be a great shout for him to be captain. He doesn’t feel the cold either! Whatever Broony does he seems to do. I can understand Broony’s decision but everyone at Scotland will be gutted because we know what he can still do. It will be a big loss on and off the park.”
The flip side of Brown’s retirement for his country is the bonus for his club
The midfielder – who turns 33 in June – will be able to concentrate fully on the champions and Forrest is convinced he will be the main man for a good while yet.
He said: “He has been tremendous this season and if he gets a bit of rest during the international break then it’s only going to make him hungrier for the Celtic games. And hopefully we’ll benefit from that.”
Marvin Compper could be involved for the first time against Dundee tonight.
Kristoffer Ajer will be assessed after picking up a head knock after clashing with fellow defender Jozo Simunovic in the win over Aberdeen.