IN the 13 seasons that he spent in the first team at his boyhood heroes Manchester United, Wes Brown won the Premier League five times, lifted the Champions League twice and made 23 appearances for England.
The versatile player, who was equally comfortable playing at centre half or right back, was dubbed The Longsight Libero by adoring supporters of the Old Trafford club because of his cultured displays at the back at home and abroad.
Yet, there was one skill which always, despite his repeated attempts to master the art, eluded him during his illustrious playing days.
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“In training for 12 or 13 years, I was always trying to perfect the timing of my runs into the box,” said Brown. “But, believe me, as I found out, you’re definitely born with it.
“Paul Scholes was good at it and you’d have to say that one of the very best at it was Frank Lampard. His timing was fantastic, his goal-scoring record was fantastic.”
Brown knows it is a God given gift which Scott McTominay possesses in abundance having witnessed the Lancaster-born player net important goals for both United and Scotland from midfield in the past couple of seasons.
In fact, he feels it is why the 48-times capped 27-year-old, who netted on no fewer than seven occasions in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, has put his difficult spell at his club behind him and established himself as a first team regular.
“You do feel watching Scott and the way he runs into the box that he’s definitely got that ability,” he said. “One hundred percent. The thing people have never understood about Scott is that he’s always had the right energy, right commitment.
“He’s doing that for Scotland but for me, he’s always done that for Man United too. I just feel now we’ve finally worked out where he’s best playing. That’s a little more of an attacking midfielder.
“But what we’ve learned over this season is that his timing of runs into the box and his willingness to make runs into, plus his scoring ability, makes him a threat. I think we’ve only just worked that out if I’m quite honest.”
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So does United manager Erik ten Hag have his Scotland counterpart Steve Clarke to thank for transforming the man who was named the Scottish Football Writers’ Association International Player of the Year on Sunday from a defensive footballer into an attacking one.
“Yeah, I do,” said Brown. “Because he’s been in that position with Scotland fans aren’t shocked. They’re now thinking, ‘Okay, Scott can play higher’.
“When Scott first got in the team, it was all about him holding. That’s fair enough. But I feel he’s more effective running into the space and timing his runs into the box, which is one of the hardest things in football to do.
“What you will know, Scott always gives 100-per-cent, whether it’s for Scotland or Man United. We see it week in, week out - tracking back, tackling, everything. Scott’s from the youth team, so he gets it. He’s passionate as well.
“But I just feel a little bit more has come out of him as a player, another year’s experience. That attacking sort of part, a lot of fans have been surprised with.”
So did England miss out by not capping McTominay before Scotland, who will take on Northern Ireland at Hampden in an international friendly this evening, did back in 2018?
Brown knows there was never any prospect of getting a player who qualifies to play for this country through a father who hails from Helensburgh to pledge his international allegiances to the land of his birth.
“If you asked Scott, he’d say he was Scottish,” he said. “He wants to play for Scotland. There’s probably many players who have got two sides, where they can go either way. But he’s Scottish and he’s a proud Scot as well.
“It would be like me asking Darren Fletcher if he wanted to play for England. He would tell me to do one! The main thing for me is that Scott’s a great lad and, speaking as a fan as well, he gives it everything every game. I’m sure he does that for Scotland.”
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