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.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel