With Scott Brown gone, Darren Fletcher the obvious choice to succeed him as Scotland captain

Robert Snodgrass had put his hand up for it, too, in case manager Gordon Strachan had still been swithering over who should lead his men in the post-Brown era. As talented a player as Snodgrass is – and he was badly missed in the Euro 2016 campaign – it doesn’t seem the right time for him to become encumbered with such a responsibility.

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In defence, Alan Hutton has a half-century of caps but has never really come across as a leader of men. Russell Martin, perhaps, would be a more suitable candidate but he struggled to nail down a place in a poor Norwich City team last season and is currently fighting to overcome injury.

Captaincy options from midfield are restricted by the fact that there are few guaranteed to play in every game. Fletcher’s West Bromwich Albion colleague James Morrison has 41 caps but could easily miss out against Malta if Strachan chooses to look elsewhere.

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It is one of the great paradoxes of this squad that so much uncertainty exists among such a familiar-looking group. Only the bold or foolish could confidently state at this juncture who will fill all 11 jerseys in the campaign ahead. Selecting a captain who can not only rouse, cajole and encourage his team-mates to better things but is also likely to feature in every game is no easy task.

Darren Fletcher, then, is the clear choice for now. Strachan may eventually resort to operating a policy of captaincy by rotation the longer the campaign wears on, but for now he is set to hand the responsibility to the West Brom man. That makes sense on a number of levels.

Fletcher has captained Scotland before and had he not been laid low by the debilitating ulcerative colitis condition would likely have remained in post. Upon his return to international football, he found his place in the team was no longer guaranteed. He started just twice in the Euro 2016 campaign, the opener against Germany when Scott Brown was injured and the 2-2 draw at home to Poland when Morrison was suspended.

Now, though, there seems a fresh opportunity for him to stake a claim for a regular place as one of the two deeper-lying midfielders. Brown has gone, Charlie Mulgrew is absent while he tries to sort out his club future, James McArthur is on his way back from injury, while John McGinn is still untried at this level. Fletcher and Morrison sitting behind a more attack-minded trio in a 4-2-3-1 set-up would seem to be a practical pairing to kick things off.

Fletcher is a quiet, introspective figure but his achievements and stature in the game mean he commands respect from his peers. He is also clearly passionate about representing his country. If he stays fit and in form, then he should become a near-automatic pick for the remainder of the campaign.

Read more: Scott Brown: I was frightened to tell Gordon Strachan I was choosing Celtic over Scotland

Brown’s absence, though, will still be felt. He has never been a captain in the traditional mould, but seems to inspire others through his actions rather than his words. Strachan, who signed him for Celtic from Hibernian in 2007, revealed he did not try to talk his “mate” out of his decision to retire, choosing instead to respect Brown’s desire to focus on extending his club career. The manager hoped, however, that there would still be some kind of legacy left behind.

“You pick up real good stuff from these guys,” he said. “We’ve got guys like [Shaun] Maloney, [Gordon] Greer, Martin, and Brown who have set good standards over the last three or four years.

You are talking about standards as an international player. How you go on the park is the way you play the game. It’s about standards, and how you deal with it, in big games.”

Strachan will miss Brown more than most. His critics will say he made an inconsistent contribution to the Scotland cause over the years but his now former manager felt the player would be remembered fondly by those who worked alongside him.

“It is not how you can play or can’t play,” he added. “It is about how you are as a teammate and how you are as a player for a manager to work with. I hope I was a good player, a good teammate and helped the manager. It is as simple as that. I think if you pick anyone who has been with Scott Brown as a manager - and even his new manager [Brendan Rodgers] is really impressed with him as a bloke - will say all that. And that’s the greatest thing.”