SCOTT BROWN wouldn’t have got into the legendary Liverpool side in which Kenny Dalglish was the indisputable King.

“You wouldn’t have dropped Graeme Souness, would you? Scott would have been a good sub."

The great man may have a point but that’s not say the former Celtic captain is not a big fan of the current wearer of the armband, Brown, a player who is certain to have a big say in today’s proceedings at Ibrox.

Dalglish has grown to greatly admire Brown who if anything is playing better than last season, which was the best of his Celtic career to date.

"Scott Brown is as important as any of them, although he might not have got in our Liverpool team.” said Dalglish with a smile.

“The whole contribution he makes is through his presence, pushing and pulling people around the place and even when he doesn’t have the ball he’s important.

"Who was the player who got back to put the tackle in on the wee boy in the Dundee game on Wednesday night? Scott Brown.

“He’s a big, big player for Celtic and when he gets the ball he can use it. He maybe doesn’t score goals, but he can’t do everything, can he? If he was out the team he’d be sorely missed.”

Dalglish can’t help but being impressed by how his old club are doing on and off the park at the moment.

He sees it as a team effort, from the playing side and in the boardroom, which has resulted in Celtic being in as strong a position as they have been for quite some time.

“It’s about whoever makes a contribution, it’s not down to one person,” said Dalglish who scored 167 goals in 322 games for Celtic before his then record transfer of £440,000 to Liverpool in 1977.

“Everyone makes a contribution and the way the club is run is a huge factor as well, with Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond. They’re a huge factor in the stability around the club and the success that’s come from it.

“No-one can say anything other than Brendan has done fantastically well - undefeated last year and qualifying for the Champions League two years running.

"However, it’s not just down to one person - Scott Sinclair has come in, Moussa Dembele has come in and set the place alight. They’ve done fantastically well and it will take a good side to beat them.”

So, can Rangers, be that good team to beat them today?

Dalglish believes Rangers under Pedro Caixinha have, slightly, improved but Scotland’s greatest and most successful footballer of all time can’t see how the team he famously supported as a boy can close the clear gap which exists.

He said: “Rangers are pushing and pushing but whether they are getting closer or not can only be judged on the pitch.

"They got close a couple of times recently, in the Scottish Cup semi-final and the League Cup semi-final when they lost late on so they got a wee bit closer.

“They are better than they were when they lost five at Celtic Park 12 months ago but I don’t think they’re ready yet to take over from Celtic. Rangers look a bit better but not that much better that they can match Celtic.”

For their footballing ability, it is the way Celtic can handle themselves which Dalglish also admires.

He said: "I watched the Dundee game and early on Dundee tried to lay into them and got a few challenges in - the referee was quite lenient, letting them away with it, but they couldn’t sustain it.

"As soon as Celtic got the first goal it was always going to be difficult for them or anyone who plays them."

Celtic might be good, but unlike Brown, Dalglish would still have got in the team.