LEARN TO LOVE THE ONE YOU HATE
Hartley says Brown will soon alter opinions at Pittodrie Incoming Dons coach tipped to gain trust and respect of an entire city
PAUL HARTLEY laughs as he recalls being wound up to the verge of violence as he slugged it out with Scott Brown in the Edinburgh derby. The memory bubbles to the surface as Hartley considers the impact the outgoing Celtic captain will make at Aberdeen when he starts the next surprising chapter of his career under Stephen Glass next season.
To say Brown has history with some of his prospective Pittodrie teammates would be an understatement. There have been running battles with Lewis Ferguson over the past couple of seasons. There was also the day three players in red tag-teamed him with a series of increasingly desperate lunges only for the Celtic captain to strut away mocking his assailants.
From experience, Hartley believes the likes of Ferguson and Ross McCrorie will come to adore their new team-mate.
Just six months after himself signing from Hearts, Hartley was part of a Parkhead dressing room that welcomed £4.4million-buy Brown to Glasgow from Hibs in 2007.
The benefits of playing alongside the live-wire midfielder were obvious but Hartley quickly saw a whole other side to the new kid’s personality, one that helps maintain their friendship to this day.
‘I hated playing against Scott Brown, we didn’t like each other,’ says Hartley, himself employed on the outskirts of Aberdeen as manager of Cove Rangers. ‘We had some battles in those Hearts v Hibs games. He
would give you that look.
His face! You wanted to punch him. We really didn’t like each other
His face! You wanted to punch him! He’d be right in your face, making remarks.
‘But when he became my team-mate, I loved being around him — I loved his company and I loved his personality.
‘Honestly, people don’t know him. Away from the pitch, he is brilliant with everybody. Whether it’s kids or older people, he will go out of his way to help. I will occasionally drop him a text and ask if he can get me something for charity. It’s always done within a minute.
‘He will gain the trust and the respect of the players at Aberdeen.
People will question him, fans too, but he’ll take that in his stride and win them over.
‘I loved playing alongside him and these
Aberdeen boys will be the same. He’s a great signing.
‘The likes of Jonny
Hayes and Niall McGinn already know that from Celtic. The younger ones, the likes of Lewis Ferguson and Ross McCrorie, will absolutely love playing beside him. And he’ll maybe give them the freedom to go and express themselves more.’ Officially, Brown’s two-year contract will include a coaching remit but Hartley believes that he will prioritise his playing contribution. Brown will be 36 by the time next season commences, yet Hartley insists the former Scotland skipper remains too effective to be used sparingly.
‘I was at the Old Firm game last weekend and Scott was one of the best players on the park,’ says Hartley.
‘He has looked after his body. People said he was finished five years ago but then Brendan Rodgers came in and he again took his game to a new level. ‘He can play for another two or three years. Davie Weir did it, Steven Davis is doing it now at Rangers and he’ll turn 37 next season.
‘Broony will relish going to Aberdeen and he will lift the players round about him. He will raise the standard on a daily basis at Cormack Park.’
Hartley concedes that operating in a dual role can be problematic. As his own late-career stint at Aberdeen wound down, he effectively retired midway through a two-year contract aged 34. He then accepted the role of player/manager at Alloa but never made a competitive appearance for the Clackmannanshire outfit.
‘That coaching issue is going to be difficult for him,’ says Hartley. ‘It’s very tricky do both. He will have his duties and he’ll be given an input on coaching side but I reckon he will concentrate on playing.
‘Stephen will have his coaching staff and keeping Paul (Sheerin) and Barry (Robson) could really help. Those two guys know the club well and are no threat to his job.’
Robson and Hartley were the older heads in the Celtic team as they took the title in 2008, with Hartley performing a similar function to the anchor role now played by Brown at Parkhead.
‘Myself and Barry were basically doing what he does now,’ notes Hartley. ‘Broony did all the running. He played everywhere, he was all over the pitch and he would pick up silly bookings.
‘But as you get older your game changes. Brendan Rodgers changed his game and maybe some habits in terms of doing extra training and looking after himself.
‘He will go in there as a big character. He means business and is not there to just play out his last couple of years. He wants to bring some success to the club, make the club better. The standards were high with Derek McInnes anyway but he will bring a different personality.’
At face value, Hartley might provide a cautionary tale against
Brown’s move but he insists there is no comparison with the way in which his own playing career ultimately wound up.
After leaving Celtic, Hartley headed south to Bristol City before returning to Scottish football in 2010 where he played out a solitary season at Pittodrie. He started brightly enough, scoring a hat-trick of penalties on his debut against Hamilton and adding a few more in a free-scoring autumn, but the campaign ultimately petered out.
‘I felt good when I went there but then I got an injury that set me back,’ he says. ‘I knew I was going up to a great club, great support and
history. It didn’t work out the way I wanted it to but Scott will go and do well. He will be a big influence on the people and the city.
‘The Aberdeen fans are tough, like any other group of supporters. They are good when you’re winning and when you’re not, it’s difficult.
‘I’m sure they will like Scott. He has had his battles with Aberdeen in the past, certain players. That’s what happens, fans will pick a villain and certain players thrive on that.’
Hartley believes the capture of Brown will send a message to the players targeted by Glass for recruitment this summer. The new manager will have a significant rebuild to do, not least in attack where Florian Kamberi, Callum Hendry and Fraser Hornby are all due to return to their parent clubs following loan spells.
‘Players will see Aberdeen are looking to change and build,’ adds Hartley. ‘They have a great training ground and it’s also a good city to stay in. Others looking in might think they fancy a piece of that now.
‘Getting Scott is a marquee signing. I don’t think anybody saw that one coming. And remember, Scott also has a lot of contacts in the game, too. Stephen might need to bring in anything up to ten players and he has probably started on that now.’
In midweek, the SPFL announced a July 31 start date for the new season. Hartley can’t wait to see the full fixture reveal and is especially looking forward to the Dons’ clashes with the big Glasgow clubs.
‘Broony will expect to go and win against Rangers and Celtic — and that’s the mindset Aberdeen need,’ says Hartley. ‘You need to go to Glasgow and believe you can win.
‘Broony won’t back down just because he was at Celtic for 14 years. He will be fired up to play them next season and he’ll have his team-mates the same way.’