BY NICK RODGER
IBROX may be the home of Celtic’s old foes but it remains a field of dreams for Scott Brown. It’s also one of defiance, Diouf and dunderheids.
The dreams are events like the 5-1 walloping of Rangers in the last league outing between the two rivals in Govan last season.
The defiance comes from the now famous “Broony” celebration when he launched a left-foot equaliser in a barnstorming Scottish Cup tie in 2011 and goaded the aforementioned El Hadji Diouf.
And as for the dunderheid? Well, that stems from the eejit who bounded from the stands and confronted Brown on the pitch in last April’s encounter.
“He came on and probably instantly regretted it,” reflected Brown. “It was okay. If he’d wanted to do something, he would have.”
Life is never dull when the combative Brown is scampering around in enemy territory.
That cup clash six years ago remains seared on Brown’s memory and, ahead of this weekend’s latest crossing of swords, the Celtic captain reiterated the importance of the moment in the wider sense of his career.
He said: “The Diouf game was the day when the fans and me connected. Beforehand I was a bit of a loose cannon and would get suspensions. You were walking on eggshells from the start of the season and when you got a four-game ban the fans weren’t happy.
“I could understand where they were coming from but it’s also quite hard to play in the middle of the park and avoid bookings.
“But that day, Neil Lennon had put faith in me as captain and I still have a great deal of respect for him for that. He let a wee Fife guy become captain and I kicked on from there.”
The fiery tussles with Rangers always stir the senses but, as he climbs the brae on the age front, Brown now has a greater appreciation of football as a whole.
He said: “I’m learning that your body is not done at 30.
“Football is not going to live forever for me, but I can push it for as long as my body can.”
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