SCOTT BROWN has accused Charlie Adam of jealousy in the wake of the Stoke City player’s recent outburst about being left out of the Scotland squad.
And the Celtic captain revealed he has yet to make up his mind about whether his international comeback at Wembley was a one-off, although he did list several reasons as to why giving his body more rest would benefit his career.
Adam claimed before the England game that he was one of a few players whose “face didn’t fit” and criticised Brown for reversing his decision to retire after sitting out on the previous two World Cup qualifying matches.
Read more: Scott Brown wants some good luck for once when he faces Barcelona for the fifth time
But Brown said: “Everyone has got their opinion at the end of the day. Whether I listen to it or not is a different story.
“Charlie was just a wee bit jealous because he wasn’t in the squad. It was maybe a thing between him and Gordon and he has chucked my name in as well. So tell him cheers for that.”
Brown, who will captain Celtic against Barcelona in the Champions League, is delighted Strachan has stayed on but his long-time mentor's decision still did not mean he could commit to making himself available for the remaining matches in the World Cup group.
Read more: Scott Brown wants some good luck for once when he faces Barcelona for the fifth time
When asked what his plan was, Brown said: “I don’t know. I’m glad Gordon stayed on. I think that’s huge for the country because if you look out there, there is no-one who could do a better job.
“For myself, I need to see how the next 13 games are going to go. Because that is me not going to have a break and we have played 15 games all the way through. Then we go into the winter break.
"From there, it is the Slovenia game in March. For myself, I need to make sure my body is as well as possible. Gordon and I will chat before then and see what is happening. But I haven’t made any decision whatsoever.”
It does seem unlikely Brown will carry on. He is now 31 and the long and much-needed break last summer has clearly done him the world of good.
“We’ll just take it as it comes because it’s all about how many games I play,” he said. “For me, it’s not about holidays, it’s about rest. I had five or six weeks off in the summer and it was the best I’ve felt when I came back.
“If I go away with Scotland, we play England on June 10 and then we are back in here at Celtic on June 20. I need to think for myself and be a bit selfish, to be fair.
Read more: Scott Brown wants some good luck for once when he faces Barcelona for the fifth time
“I need to think ‘can I make this game, have ten days holiday and push on from there’ or take four weeks off and see how my body is. I’m not getting any younger. There are other people doing it down in England, so we’ll just wait and see what happens.
“I would never have come back for any other manager. I’m very stubborn that way. I would have sat there, said no and made sure my body was right for Celtic. The club were the ones who put me out on the field and made me available for Scotland in the first place. I’ve got a lot to thank them for.
“It’s kind of a hard one because Gordon and I are so close. You want to keep the wee man happy but I’ve also got to be selfish sometimes and look after my body.”
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