Erik Sviatchenko’s cords were the first to get it.

A query about whether they had been removed from the wardrobe of Scott Brown’s grandfather may have felt a little impudent to the aristocratic ear of the Danish defender upon his arrival at Celtic in 2016. But if Brown’s coarseness was a shock to Sviatchenko, the son of a Ukrainian artist and who runs a fashion blog when he is not playing football, the clash of cultures between himself and Brown was nowhere near as divisive as it might have been.

Now captain with FC Midtjylland the amiable Sviatchenko has drawn elements of Brown’s tenure at Celtic into his own skippering style. Most likely it is minus the bluntness. But if, as anticipated, Brown brings down the curtain on a 14-year association that has reaped 22 trophies and made him the third most decorated Celtic player of all time, Sviatchenko has cautioned against anyone looking to find the new Scott Brown.

“Scott Brown is a Celtic institution,” said Sviatchenko. “And not just in Scotland either. I think his association with Celtic is all the way through Europe. For the club and for the supporters it is about recognising the balance in replacing him, if he does decide that the time is right for him to go, and accepting that there is not another Scott Brown. You are never going to find someone to come in and replace him because he is a unique character who developed into that role at Celtic.

“I think the obvious choice for the captaincy if Scott does leave is Callum McGregor. He is a silent leader and a totally different personality from Scott but he can be equally as effective. He leads by example, he has the absolute respect of the dressing room and having been at Celtic since childhood, he knows what the club is all about. “Crucially, though, whoever takes over has to be allowed to work within their own parameters. What Scott achieved at Celtic is remarkable and he will be remembered as one of the legendary captains and great figures within the history of the club. It will be hard for whoever follows on from that and they need to be given time and space to be their own person.”

Brown’s influence at Celtic was reignited by the arrival of Brendan Rodgers at Celtic. Dinner and wine in London with the new Parkhead manager was the beginning of a relationship that took Brown to a new level with Sviatchenko appreciative of the way the midfielder responded to a whole new level of responsibility. “He was an old-fashioned player,” said the Dane. “We might have had a few different perspectives on things when I was there at Celtic but we definitely found common ground because we both wanted to win. I don’t know that he learned too much from me but I definitely have taken things I learned from him into my career. “Everything he did was a statement. He and his wingman, Kieran Tierney, would be out in all weather with their shorts and t-shirts but it was more than just for show. It was a sign that they were always ready. Every training session was like a proper game – 100% and full on. He rarely missed training. He could be forthright about certain things but I think if you played under him you knew it was because he wanted to win and he wanted every single person round about him playing for the team and giving their all.

“He will be a loss for Celtic if he does go this summer. He has been extraordinary for the club but there can be more than one way to do things and achieve success and I hope whoever takes on that role is allowed to be their own person because you cannot imitate. You have to find your own path.”