SKIPPER BROONIE NEEDS NEW DEAL ASAP

STEPHEN WELSH is desperate for Scott Brown to stay Celtic’s squad leader beyond this term.

The Parkhead captain is in the twilight of his career and has revealed he’ll make a decision at the end of the season on whether to carry on playing or move into a coaching role. Brown will be 36 when next term kicks off and Welsh admits his skipper has earned the right to make his own call.

But the 21-year-old is still desperate for him to keep going into 2021/22 and maintain his place as the head figure of the top-team dressing room.

He said: “Broony is massive for us. Massive. He’s our leader and we would miss him a lot if he wasn’t there next season.

“We need to take every day as it comes and I don’t know what he’s going to do.

“Personally I would love him to be here as long as possible because he helps me so much.

“He helps every single player in the team as captain and when he’s on the pitch he is brilliant for us.

“We will see what happens, but Broony (left) is such an important player for us.”

RALPH HASENHUTTL has warned Carlo Ancelotti not to underestimate struggling Southampton.

The Saints have lost seven of their last eight Premier League games, shipping 24 goals. But at the start of the season, Ancelotti’s Everton had won seven of their first eight matches in all competitions – before losing at St Mary’s.

And Hasenhuttl (left) said: “They have a strong side, but I remember when they came to us in the autumn and were unbeaten.

“We played a fantastic game against them. We were the first team to beat them this season. So we have to go there and give it our best.”

Saints miss a string of first-teamers for tonight’s game at Goodison, including midfielder Oriol Romeu and Liverpool loanee Takumi Minamino.