ANATOMY OF A MIDFIELD WARRIOR

PARKHEAD SKIPPER IS PERFECT SPECIMEN AS QUALITIES PROVE HE IS A LEAN, MEAN, FIGHTING MACHINE

FOOTBALLING BRAIN

He’s blessed with an innate ability to see the bigger picture in the heat of a battle. After 15 years on the front line and time invested in coaching, he instinctively knows how games are won and lost.

LEAN AND MEAN

Brown will turn 32 this summer and has had his fair share of injuries. But he looks as fit as he’s ever been. A lean, mean, fighting machine.

LEGS LIKE PISTONS

He can still get across the ground to break up the play at quite a rate. The pistons in the machine may need a rest shortly but they remain in full working order.

EYE FOR THE PASS

For all his combative attributes, Brown not only sees the killer ball but is capable of executing it. That steely glare has also been known to intimidate many an opponent.

MOTORMOUTH

Some captains prefer to let their football do the talking — Brown is more of an old-fashioned skipper. Words of encouragement, warning and motivation stream from his lips in an incessant volley.

HEART OF A LION

Bravery isn’t just about putting your head where others fear to put their boot. His willingness to take the ball in tight areas and dictate the tempo of the game is properly courageous.

STRIKER’S INSTINCT

His technical excellence is often overlooked. He doesn’t score often — just nine in three seasons — but invariably his deft finishes remind us why he started out life as a striker.

ACHILLES HEEL

Given his style, it’s perhaps little wonder the ankles have endured a bit of wear and tear down the years. Surgery has been required. But whatever preventative work he did last summer is evidently working.