Many of his managers, at Celtic and elsewhere, have spoken glowingly about the qualities Scott Brown brings to a team. But perception has never been one of the attributes readily associated with the midfielder. As he launched his biography this week, ‘Scott Brown: My Celtic Story’, the Celtic and Scotland captain exposed a side of him that is generally hidden among the machismo of his dressing room role and the hammed up ‘daft-laddie’ persona that he sports so readily.

The Edinburgh Sick Children’s Hospital and Cancer Research will benefit from the sale of his book, written by Celtic View journalist Mark Henderson, two charities that reveal their own chapters in his story. Brown’s sister, Fiona, died aged just 21 as he claimed his first Championship medal at Celtic in May 2009 and just two weeks after the death of Tommy Burns, while his youngest son, Sonny, was born three months prematurely just over two years ago.

It is in paying homage to the dedication of the medical staff who looked after his infant that Brown reveals an insight that is not often visible.

“They work 12 hour shifts and they have to wash their hands so much that it must be hard for them to do anything because the skin’s peeling off,” said Brown. “For them to do 12 hour shifts four days in a row and have two days off, it’s amazing how they keep it going. And they have to go home and put a smile on their kids’ faces as well.”

It is trite to suggest, but inevitably having come to terms with personal loss and the trying times of an ill child, Brown can appreciate the luxury of the position he is in.

“My job’s easy compared to everybody else’s,” he said. “I turn up for 90 minutes, work as hard as I possibly can to make sure we get those three points but other people are proper grafting for 12 hours non-stop, saving lives and bringing kids into the world, so it puts us in a very privileged situation.”

Being on the park does is an altogether different kind of pressure but there has been tension there this season with the club’s failure to make an impact on Europe. The limpness of the Europa League campaign has frustrated the club support due to the same repeated errors. In remains possible if improbable for Celtic to qualify from Group A but if they are to grasp any chance then they must beat Ajax on Thursday night in Glasgow.

“It’s make or break,” acknowledged Brown. “If we don’t win we don’t go through, simple as that and we’ll only have ourselves to blame. It is that are on the park.”