Celtic news: Brendan Rodgers: Scott Brown would have been in my Liverpool team every week
Celtic boss says skipper would have been a first pick alongside Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez at Anfield
BRENDAN RODGERS has already provided plenty of superlatives for Celtic skipper Scott Brown in his five months in charge.
But he has paid Brown his biggest compliment yet by saying he would have definitely been a first pick alongside Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez in his Liverpool side.
Broony missed the 4-0 hammering of Ross County to be with his wife Lisa for the birth of their third son.
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But Brown, 31, will go straight back into the side for tomorrow’s lunchtime showdown in Aberdeen, who Celtic also face in next month’s Betfred Cup Final.
Rodgers said: “Scott looks well. He’s a father of three now and it was nice, probably the perfect opportunity for him to be at home.
“I spoke to him a few weeks ago, and I obviously knew his wife was expecting around this time.
“I just said to him: ‘She’s the most important thing, make sure you look after her, she does amazing for you when you are travelling all over the world playing, and earning a living for your family.
“Look after her and everything else will take care of itself’.
“Scott has come back fresh and ready to go again on Saturday. He trained today and he looks in great nick.
“I’m not sure what Lisa would have said if Scott had come with the squad to Dingwall! But at the time he doesn’t want to miss a game.
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“He’s someone I’ve been so impressed with since I first met him in my house earlier on in the season.
“Scott’s just really devoted himself to how I’ve wanted the team to operate on the field and off it.
“You guys will have seen him more consistently than me. But if he was playing at a better level than he’s at just now, both physically and tactically, then I would be surprised.
“The biggest compliment I can give him is that, having worked in what is supposedly is the best league in the world, Scott Brown, if I look at my Liverpool team that nearly won the title, he would definitely have been in it.
“There’s no doubt about that, so that’s the level that the guy is at as a player and as a captain, you want him in your team and on your side.
“It’s the biggest accolade I can give Scott.
“But, thankfully, he’s chosen to play nearly 10 years at Celtic, and still looks as strong and fit.
“He’s devoting his life to football, with his preparation, his diet, and the training methodology will always quicken him up, speed up his game and get him tactically thinking. You saw that last Sunday, he was magnificent at Hampden.”
Brown is fast heading towards testimonial territory at Parkhead — having shunned any opportunities to play in England’s top flight.
Rodgers insisted there were definite opportunities, including one from Tottenham.
Rodgers added: “I remember Harry Redknapp at Tottenham wanting to take him there, Harry told me that.
“We talked over the years, so there’s no doubt Scott has had times where he could have left here.
“But he was happy in his life and happy here at Celtic.”
Rodgers, the best paid manager in Celtic’s history, has immediately flourished in Paradise.
Qualification for the Champions League group stages at the first time of asking, recovering from a humiliating defeat to Lincoln Red Imps.
There’s also a place in the first major Cup Final, and a ferocious opening to the league campaign.
It’s Celtic’s best start in a title race since 1966.
And Rodgers is driven by the fear of avoiding his Hoops-daft family one day rating him a FLOP boss.
Rodgers said: “That kind of history does drive you on.
“But there’s also the fact one day I’ll leave here and all my family are Celtic supporters. And they will be reminding me if I’m not very good for a lifetime!
“I feel a personal responsibility here because I know what it means to the fans, and I know what it means to the worldwide support of Celtic.
“I enjoy that pressure, if it’s pressure. But it is exciting and it’s something that’s been great, and it’s something we continue to push. We made eight changes against Ross County, and that was the confidence I see in them to retain our intensity.
“It was a good win. But County played very well. If they played to that level every week, they shouldn’t be where they are.
“They need to make sure they are not doing an injustice to themselves and their manager if they are just turning it on for Celtic at home.
“I said right away it was important we made a good start and we’d assess it after 10 games.
“We have played nine and it should be nine wins from nine. We dropped two points in Inverness we shouldn’t have. But the team is improving.
“As the season goes on, the team will get better and better.”
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Meanwhile, Rodgers is full of respect for Derek McInnes’ Aberdeen who have been Celts’ most credible title challengers in the last two seasons.
Rodgers added: “Aberdeen are a good side. I think Derek’s done an excellent job there.
“They didn’t get a good result midweek, and they will want to bounce back this weekend.
“They are a team that are direct, they look to get it forward early, look to play on the counter attack.
“I’m sure at Pittodrie it will be a tough game, like it always is.”
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