Scott Brown has backed Stefan Johansen to shrug off the Celtic Park boo-boys and get back to his best form for the Hoops.
Johansen has come under fire this season after his form dipped from the high of winning last season’s PFA Scotland Player of the Year award.
The Celtic captain says though that the Norwegian can rise above the sarcastic cheers he received from the stands when substituted against Ross County at the weekend, and once again show his worth for Ronny Deila’s side.
“It is always hard,” he said.
“When you come to big clubs, you have to expect it now and again. Some people love you and some people hate you. It’s part of the baggage.
“Stefan is definitely big enough and ugly enough to take that on the chin. He is a talented boy, he was PFA Scotland Player of the Year last season.
“That shows you how good a player he is and he has also been linked with moves here, there and everywhere. He is a top player.
“It’s down to everyone having their own opinion of players. Some people really like him, some don’t.
“It’s the same with myself - they either love me or hate me. You have to take that on the chin and deal with it."
Brown says that Johansen has been keeping his spirits up, despite the criticism that has come his way, and he has not yet required a pick-me-up from his captain.
“Stefan goes out there and runs as far as anyone, tackles as much as anyone," Brown added.
"He has great quality on the ball. He is a good player for us to have in our team.
“Everyone deals with it in their own way. Stefan comes in every morning and is cheerful. He’s no different this season than he was last season. So you don’t want to make it too big an issue.”
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