Scott Brown set for shock Scotland return to face England at Wembley next month
Celtic captain to come out of international retirement to help Tartan Army resurrect World Cup campaign
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SCOTT BROWN is set to end his international retirement to try and help Scotland overcome England at Wembley next month.
The Celtic captain held talks with Tartan Army boss Gordon Strachan on Thursday and he is likely to announce his U-turn in the coming days.
Brown, aged 31, won 50 caps for his country before calling time on his Scotland career last summer.
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But after a poor start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, and despite the birth of his third child this week, the tough tackler is ready to return to help resurrect their Russia 2018 dreams.
Three matches have been played in Group F, with Scotland sitting fourth, behind England, Lithuania and Slovenia, and just a point ahead of Slovakia.
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Strachan's side won their opening match against Malta 5-1, drew 1-1 at home with Lithuania before losing 3-0 in Slovakia.
When asked if he regretted not being able to play against England on 11 November on Thursday, Brown said: "I'll enjoy watching that game, here's hoping Scotland do really well down there.
"It'll be another great occasion and I just wish Gordon all the best."
When he announced his retirement in August, Brown said: "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.
"I'm not the type of player who can coast half-heartedly through a game - I give 100 per cent 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."
Since then, however, Brown has been a stand-out performer for Celtic and appears to be relishing playing under manager Brendan Rodgers.
The experienced midfielder has never played in the finals of a major tournament, with Scotland's absence from World Cup finals and European Championships stretching back to 1998.