THE Scott Brown who has turned up to play for Scotland in the last two or three seasons will be of little loss to the national team in their forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Scott Brown who made his debut for his country against the United States in 2005 and then established himself as an indispensable player for them in the seasons which followed would have been.
The 31-year-old’s decision today to call time on his international career after winning 50 caps will have disappointed his manager Gordon Strachan enormously.
Read more: Celtic captain Scott Brown retires from international football due to injury concerns
He was a huge favourite of Strachan’s and was consistently preferred to both Darren Fletcher and James McArthur in his favoured central midfield berth in his 4-2-3-1 formation.
The Scotland boss also made the man he signed for Celtic from Hibs for a record £4.4 million transfer fee in 2007 his captain and kept faith with him through good times and bad.
However, his undisguised adoration for Brown wasn’t shared, certainly latterly, by every Tartan Army footsoldier. Towards the end of his time with Scotland Brown was often, as a consequence of being asked to play too many games for his club and country, a pale shadow of his former self.
His performances against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin and Georgia in Tbilisi during an unsuccessful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign were, to be blunt, nothing short of woeful.
The clamour for Fletcher and McArthur to be given the nod ahead of somebody who was clearly not fully fit and in desperate need of a sabbatical from the game grew and grew.
Brown, though, has been a victim of his own unselfishness. His willingness to make himself available for both Celtic and Scotland were admirable. Many players in the modern era, when professionals are pampered, feted and overpaid, could do with following his example. But he has been unable to do himself justice by playing when he really should have been resting.
He finally got the break that he required in the summer. He was excused from Celtic’s final Ladbrokes Premiership matches after a fifth consecutive title was secured and was left out of the Scotland squad for the friendlies against Italy and France in May and June.
The impact of what was the longest break of his professional career was nothing short of remarkable. He has been a man reborn in his games for Celtic during the 2016/17 campaign. His energy levels have been restored and his influence on games has been great.
In the 5-2 win over Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel in the first leg of the Champions League play-off at Parkhead on Wednesday night he was back to his very best. The volley he netted with five minutes remaining capped an outstanding individual performance.
The prospect of the revitalised player representing Scotland in their Group F matches against Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia and, in particular, England was an appealing one.
But Brown has, after much soul-searching, decided he can no longer juggle club and country commitments. He has realised his body can no longer cope with the intense demands of a full domestic campaign and European fixture list along with international matches. In a bid to prolong his playing days he has opted to concentrate solely on playing for Celtic.
Scotland, though, should be able to cope without him in their bid to reach Russia 2018. Strachan is well served for players in his area of the field. Fletcher, McArthur and James Morrison are all playing regularly and playing consistently well in the Premier League in England.
Charlie Mulgrew is currently without a club having been unable to reach an agreement with Celtic over an extension and that must be a concern for Strachan with games against Malta away, Lithuania at home, Slovakia away and England away at Wembley looming. But he has also been utilised to devastating affect as a deep-lying midfielder in the past.
John McGinn of Hibs is also an option. He is only 21 and it may be some time before he can establish himself as a regular with his country. But his showing alongside Brown on his international debut against Denmark at Hampden in March was hugely encouraging. He looked comfortable in a match against decent opposition and was deserved recipient of the Man of the Match award.
Brown has been a fine servant for Scotland in the last 11 years and should always be remembered as such. His involvement in the epic 1-0 win over France in a European qualifier in Paris back in 2007 will be a treasured memory for him.
But life will go on for the national team without him as they attempt to end an absence from the finals of a major tournament that stretches back 18 years. Some would suggest they will be better off with somebody else dictating play in the middle of the park.
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