Lawwell 'desperately’ tried to keep Bhoy Brown
Celtic tried “desperately” to keep Aberdeen-bound skipper Scott Brown at the club beyond the end of the season, chief executive Peter Lawwell has declared.
Brown is following the retiring Lawwell out of Celtic Park this summer after playing for the club for 14 years, more than 11 of them as skipper.
The 35-year-old’s impending departure adds to the sense of transition, with the club looking for a replacement for Neil Lennon – some bookies have suspended betting on the new manager market after a flurry of bets on Roy Keane.
Brown has won 22 trophies for Celtic and will aim to bow out with another Scottish Cup triumph.
Lawwell said: “Scott Brown has been the heartbeat of Celtic for so long and without doubt, the most influential figure in the Scottish game across the past 15 years.
“With more than 600 appearances for the club, he has made an imprint on Celtic which puts him in the company of our other true greats – and with a legacy to match.
“Ever since signing, he has lived and breathed the club and our cause – day after day, across a decade-and-a-half, giving his heart and soul to Celtic.
Interim manager John Kennedy admitted it would be impossible to find someone else in the same vein.
“He’s been a terrific captain and leader of the group,” Kennedy said.
“He’ll be irreplaceable in terms of what he gives us on a daily basis, his drive to be successful and how he leads the group by example every single day."
PA Media
Latest Soccer
- International round-up: Italy too good for Northern Ireland, England have it easy and Scotland snatch point
- 'Hopefully we can throw a spanner in the works starting Friday' - Conor McCormack relishing life in Galway
- Richard Dunne Opinion We are talking Serbia up as if they are a major nation. They’re not and a moral victory isn’t good enough
- Dundalk announce another overseas signing as South Korean Han Jeongwoo moves to Oriel Park
- Roy Keane emerges as frontrunner to take over as Celtic boss ten years after last job as manager
Most Read
- Brian Kerr questions Stephen Kenny's team selection following defeat in Serbia
- Former Ireland international hero Alan McLoughlin discloses prolonged cancer battle in statement
- Roy Keane emerges as frontrunner to take over as Celtic boss ten years after last job as manager
- Player ratings: Youngsters give Ireland hope after disappointment in Belgrade
- Vincent Hogan Opinion No release of pressure for Stephen Kenny, but Ireland gave us a glimmer of a future
Latest
- Army of volunteers roll out sea of yellow for massive Daffodil Day fundraising event
- Joe Biden says great-grandfather left Ireland on a ‘coffin ship’ during first press briefing
- International round-up: Italy too good for Northern Ireland, England have it easy and Scotland snatch point
- EU has right to use export controls to ‘leverage’ vaccine firms to fulfill contracts, Taoiseach says
- 'Hopefully we can throw a spanner in the works starting Friday' - Conor McCormack relishing life in Galway