Why Aberdeen team-mate doesn't rule out a Glasgow goal double for Scott Brown on first return to Celtic Park since summer departure

It couldn’t happen, could it?

Aberdeen's Scott Brown is denied by Joe Hart in the midfielder's first meeting with his old club in the very fashion he netted at Ibrox last month. Now Ross McCrorie believes Brown is capable of a Glasgow scoring double when on Sunday he makes his first appearance at Celtic Park since ending a 13-year career with the club in the summer. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Aberdeen’s Ross McCrorie certainly believes so. It seems outlandish to consider that Scott Brown could complete a rare Glasgow scoring double by netting on his first return to Celtic Park following his decision to end his 22-honour, 13-year association with the club last season. But after the midfield anchor dropped Rangers in it with a headed strike at Ibrox in the 2-2 draw for Stephen Glass’s men there last month, McCrorie is ruling nothing out about Sunday’s confrontation.

And even if the occasion could bring a swirl of emotions for Brown on a day the Celtic faithful will pay tribute to him and the recently-departed Bertie Auld, McCrorie rebuffs any suggestion the encounter could be awkward for the Aberdeen captain – even in the week Glass admitted substituting the 36-year-old for the only time this season when he first faced his old club, at Pittodrie eight weeks ago, came about from Brown cramping up through being unconsciously affected by the personal significance attached to the game. It feels that this long-awaited return, with Brown unable to say his farewells to a support with which he had experienced so much because of the pandemic shut-out of fans last season, has even greater resonance.

“I certainly hope he can get another goal,” McCrorie said of Brown scoring. “We’ll wait and see. If anybody can tap in the goals at any point, that would be welcome. You never know, maybe Broony can do it again this weekend. It will be a special occasion for him because he’s obviously had a great history with Celtic. But me knowing Broony, I know his mentality will be to go in focused on Aberdeen and trying to get the three points like in any other game.

“That’s just the mentality that Broony has. He wants to go out and win. He’s a top pro and we’re just grateful to have a player of his quality in our ranks. I don’t know about it being awkward. Broony is a top pro. Whatever team he plays in, he’s going to give you his all and show a high performance. He’s strong mentally. It’s not going to affect him. He’s a top pro and an Aberdeen player now, and that’s his full focus.”

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