No let-up in desire as Brown-inspired Celtic bid for Scottish Cup glory

There isn’t a man alive who has ever, rightly, questioned the desire, drive and ambition of Celtic skipper Scott Brown. Not one with all his cerebral faculties in place, anyway.

And so, it will come as no surprise to you to learn that the Hoops enforcer is relishing the chance to hold aloft the Scottish Cup tomorrow at Hampden Park, despite a glittering array of honours already under his belt as a result of his service for the Parkhead giants.

It is that win-at-most-costs attitude that sets him apart; and one of the reasons that you wouldn’t bet against Neil Lennon’s men winning the silverware when they face Hearts in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup final.

Evidence of Brown’s desire comes in his pre-match press conference when he talks about his willingness to anticipate good times created by hard work, dogged enthusiasm and a never-say-die attitude. He told the club’s official website:

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow. The feeling of lifting that trophy is phenomenal, especially after the league season is finished, to have that opportunity to go for more silverware. It’s great for the lads, too. We’ve worked very hard, it’s been a long season and it’s been physically very demanding on the squad. But we’ve soldiered on through it, and I’m sure one last game won’t hurt anyone.”

Captain fantastic Brown is, of course a born leader of men and so when he acknowledges another for similar traits you know the praise is authentic. Speaking of the stewardship the Bhoys had enjoyed under Lennon since he took over from Brendan Rodgers in February, Brown added:

“That’s one thing the manager is — a winner. He loves the club more than anyone else in that dressing room. To win any trophy, you must be a good manager to do that. He’s done a great job so far and winning the cup would be the icing on the cake for him since returning.

“Everyone is going to be super-motivated for this. It’s all about whoever turns up and wants it on the day, and we want that to be us. We want to have that trophy in our hands at the end of the game, and we’re thrilled to be in this position. And that shows the relentlessness and willingness of the lads as well, that we keep going. It’s a never-say-die attitude, we’ve been in some difficult situations, we’ve come out the other end, we’ve won the league, the first cup and now we’re going for the second one.”

Meanwhile, Lennon says he has shaped his charges’ thoughts to focus strictly on the 90 minutes ahead of them. He said:

“It’s about the game. The players are aware of what’s on the end of it. It’s important to play the game and not the occasion. They know exactly what the need to do, they’ve done this before and they know what it takes to win the game. It doesn’t need any extra motivation. Their mindset needs to be right, and I’m sure it will be on Saturday.”