THE LONG HAUL
Brown aims to see out career with champions
SCOTT BROWN last night set his sights on at least another six years of title-winning success with Celtic.
The 29-year-old club captain is adamant he wants to see out his career at Parkhead and feels confident he could play on until 35 or beyond.
Brown won his fifth league championship in eight years with Celtic — and his fourth in a row — after Aberdeen were beaten by Dundee United on Saturday.
But the midfielder made it clear his hunger for success remains undiminished as he looks to keep on extending the championship-winning streak towards double figures.
‘I’ve got five titles now — and counting,’ said Brown. ‘I’ve still got a long way to go. I’m only 29 and I still feel good. I’m enjoying my football, so hopefully there’s a lot more to come.
‘You have to try to push yourself as far as you possibly can. I’m willing to push myself on as long as I can possibly play. I’m enjoying my f ootball and being at the club j ust now. Everything is going really well for me.
‘I can play until I’m 55 — no, seriously, I’ve got
six, seven, eight years left in me. I feel as good as I did at 21, so as long as I feel like this, I’ll keep playing. ‘Once Craig Gordon starts sprinting past me then that’s when I know that I have to chuck it. If he’s making more forward runs than me, then I’m done. ‘But it’s down to me and how much I want it — and right now I want it. ‘I don’t know what I’d do sitting at home every day. I have so much energy to burn that I love going into training and I enjoy it.’ Brown signed a contract with Celtic until 2018 last November, but clearly hopes there will be another deal on the table in the future. He insisted he had formed a deep emotional attachment to the club following his £4.4million move from Hibernian in the summer of 2007. Speaking at the launch of Celtic’s new home kit, their first with New Balance, Brown said: ‘I don’t see myself anywhere else. ‘The club has been great to me, Peter Lawwell (chief executive) has been great to me, and all the managers. ‘It feels like home. It’s a place I enjoy coming to and I love playing in front of those fans.’
EMILIO Izaguirre could miss Celtic’s Champions League qualifiers after insisting he now wants to be part of Honduras’ Gold Cup squad. The full-back initially said he didn’t want to be considered because the competition, which runs from July 7 to 26, clashes with his club’s vital European games. ‘My plan is to play for the national team if I am selected,’ said Izaguirre.