Brown hangs up his Scotland boots

Scott Brown admits he has sacrificed his international career to prolong his chances of starring for Celtic in Europe.

The Scotland skipper made the surprise announcement yesterday that he was retiring from international football.

He won his 50th cap against Denmark in March and has decided to call time on the national side to protect himself for club duties.

Brown admits it was the toughest decision of his career, but after a summer of introspection he felt the demands of international football could not be sustained along with a hectic club schedule.

Brown, who made his Scotland debut against the United States in 2005 and led his country out on 21 occasions, said: “First, I would like to thank Gordon for giving me the honour of not only playing for my country but captaining Scotland in the last campaign.

“I also owe a debt to every Scotland manager before him who selected me – right back to Walter Smith handing me my senior debut, and the national youth coaches along the way.

“Gordon has been one of the most influential people in my career and I did not want to let him or my country down, but over the summer I had a lot of thinking to do.

“It’s no secret that I’ve suffered some injuries in my career and once you get over 30 you have to protect your body more, in any case.

“I’m not the type of player who can coast half-heartedly through a game – I give 100% every time.

“Given the importance of this campaign for Scotland and the challenges ahead at Celtic, I simply felt that I could not keep up both commitments without either my performances or recovery time suffering.

“Gordon understands this completely and I would hope the Scotland supporters understand my position, too.”

Strachan paid tribute to Brown’s contribution to his country.

The manager – who is expected to announce his new captain when he unveils his squad for the Malta qualifier on Monday – said: “Scott is one of the most wholehearted players I’ve encountered and somebody who puts the team ahead of himself.

“He is not the type to play within himself, either, and I understand and respect the decision he has taken.

“I have huge admiration for a player as selfless as he has been – to sacrifice family time and recovery time to help his country.

“We will miss Scott as a player, no doubt about it, but football evolves and it provides an opportunity for others to step up to take that responsibility.

“We’ll miss him as a person, too, because his influence and popularity around the squad was integral to all that we did as a group.”

Scott Brown, who has 50 caps for the national side, 21 as captain, has decided to call it a day on his international career.