JOHN HARTSON reckons a swift return to Celtic for Scott Brown cannot be ruled out.
The legendary former skipper quit Aberdeen yesterday with more than a year still to run on the contract he agreed last summer when he ended his medal-laden 14-year career at Parkhead.
The Dons scrapped the deal to release their club captain to pick up his coaching career elsewhere, as CQN reported yesterday.
Fans’ favourite Broony, who won an extraordinary TWENTY-TWO honours – including TEN titles – with the Hoops after arriving in a £4.4million switch from Hibs in the summer of 2007, has already been linked with a quickfire return to the east end of Glasgow.
Ex-scoring great Hartson insists the 36-year-old midfielder will have something put in place after his spell at Pittodrie ended abruptly.
CELTIC LEGEND…Scott Brown near the end of his phenomenal 14 years at Parkhead.
The one-time Scotland international onfield leader joined the north-east outfit in a player-coach role alongside his friend and former Hibs team-mate Stephen Glass who had taken over from long-serving Derek McInnes at the tailend of the previous campaign.
However, the rookie gaffer was sacked after only 11 months in the job following the Dons’ Scottish Cup exit against Motherwell at Fir Park last month which opened the door for Jim Goodwin to leave St Mirren to take over.
Hartson said: “Obviously, I speak to Scott regularly, but I wouldn’t call him on a day like today. I respect his privacy.
“He might have something lined up. He might just want a rest, he might want a break.
“Knowing Scott, that probably won’t be the case. He’ll want to be active and he might have several offers already.
“It’s a shock to me because I know he was really determined to go up to Aberdeen and not only play a role under Stephen Glass, he wanted to go and do a little bit of coaching.
RED ALERT…action man Scott Brown during his all-too-brief stay at Aberdeen.
“He was going to go and do his badges and get involved in that side of the game. That’s not worked out for him.
“Whether or not he showed a bit of loyalty and said: ‘Hold on, it was Stephen who brought me here,’ but I believe he had another 16 months to go on his contract.
“I’m not sure what he does from now, but he’s had an incredible career.”
Ange Postecoglou has been calling the shots since he arrived as the long-term successor to Neil Lennon in June and the Wales legend reckons the final decision will be with the Greek-Australian gaffer.
Hartson, speaking to Go Radio, added: “Could he go back to Celtic? I think it would be down to the manager.
“It would just be to coach, but that decision has to ultimately be decided by Ange Postecoglou, with everything that’s happening at Celtic right now.
“They’re in the crest of a wave, top of the league, but stranger things have happened.”
