ENGLAND’S caretaker manager Gareth Southgate has admitted he was eager to sign Scott Brown when he was in charge at Middlesbrough.
Now Scotland’s comeback Bhoy is poised to face the English in the vital World Cup qualifier at Wembley on Friday evening after ending his three-game international retirement.
Gordon Strachan was happy to bring the 31-year-old powerhouse back into the international ranks and Southgate, who took over from shamed Sam Allardyce who had one game as England boss, acknowledged the Hoops star could give his nation problems.
He said: “I was trying to get him to Middlesbrough in 2007 when he was at Hibs. But he had his heart set on Celtic and I could see his character back then.
“I’m not surprised that Scott has come out of retirement for this game. I’m aware of what playing in a fixture like this means to the Scots.
“It would also seem that Scott and Gordon have a very strong relationship from their time at Celtic.”
Strachan, of course, broke the domestic transfer record when he splashed £4.4million for the player in 2007 after Southgate’s bid failed.
The former Celtic gaffer will be hoping to get another one over on Southgate on Friday evening. On a day like this we should now realise that stranger things can happened!
