SCOTT BROWN was prepared for the incoming question in the same manner he sets himself up for a 50/50 challenge.
There was no thought of avoidance, that isn’t what this guy is all about, and he even cut short the questioner, yours truly, when he said: “I know what you’re going to say.”
And he did.
Brown has done just about everything in a career which should have a few years left to run. He has 12 winners’ medals, is in the SFA Hall of Fame with 50 caps, captained both club and country and has some right, old adventures in amongst it all.
But as it was put to him yesterday, and this goes every other player from his generation, the Celtic skipper has never played a single second of a major international finals for the simple and rather depressing reason that in 1998, Scotland’s last invite to the party, Brown was 13, he conceded something was missing.
And while the national team is in miracle searching territory even if they manage to beat Slovenian at Hamden on Sunday night, this is one proud Scot who hasn’t given up.
“It would be amazing, it would be like a dream come true,” said Brown of getting to the World Cup. “I know I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, when I was a young kid I used to watch Scotland getting to the Euros, World Cups and playing in these games.
“We have been so close to two or three but fell at the final hurdle. I would love to be able to put my finger on why. Other teams always have that one player, Wales have Gareth Bale and England have a great squad.
“We just need to make we are together as a team full of honest and hard-working boys more than anything."
Brown is as good at giving the media a line as he is at patrolling the midfield. He acts daft, pretending that he can’t read to the table of hacks, but he is smart and know exactly what to say in terms of reminding his team-mates what is expected of them.
When asked what it brings out of him when so much is riding on just one game, he said: “I think it brings everyone’s balls out to be fair. It brings out that winning mentality and togetherness which is what we need in these times.
“We have to be hungry to go out there to get the three points for Scotland and the fans. It’s a huge game in the group and, as Gordon says, it’s a must-win game. If we win this we’ll be touch-tight with everybody. We know England is a bit further ahead, but this is a huge game for us, and here’s hoping the fans come out in their thousands and support us.”
And do Scotland ever need a win. Do that and it’s seven points from a possible 15 with five games remaining, three of them at home, and while there would remain not a smidgeon left for error, we would have a chance.
“We need a win for ourselves and everyone else as well to make us feel like we are doing something in this group and can progress,” said Brown. “If we lose then it is going to be hard. We would need to win no matter how many games we have left but if we win then there will be a positive atmosphere. We then have England on June 10 and you never know what can happen in those type of occasions.
“I am taking it game by game. As long as I am feeling good and positive I will keep going for as long as I possibly can.”
A lot will rest on the shoulders of Brown come Sunday night. He is the second most capped player, after Darren Fletcher, and while he might not wear the armband, it’s the Fifer who the rest first look to.
“I feel the same responsibility going into every game. I’ve played in some huge games for Celtic, and some huge games for Scotland, and we’ve managed to win them,” said Brown. “I think we need to try to make it a positive atmosphere again, and bring back the good times to Scotland.
"I’ve enjoyed my time with Scotland. I’m still enjoying it now and I want to maintain that. I am enjoying being back with the lads. It is fresh for me coming back in and it is good to see the new lads coming in and getting a chance."
Brown was presented with his 50th cap at the Lithuania game, a poor 1-1 home draw, at a time when he was retired. That lasted a whole to matches before he was back.
“It was hard to go along and watch. I enjoyed going along and taking the atmosphere in at a Scotland game,” he admitted. “For me, I felt as if I could still help the lads out and be part of it.
“That was always in the back of my mind. I knew the England game was coming along and I was biting at the chance. I didn’t want to be the guy who retired and then came back two games later but that was how it was.”
As Brown spoke, his club and now Scotland team-mate Stuart Armstrong was sitting a few feet away fulfilling his own media duties.
Asked what his advice to Armstrong would be, Brown said: “Make sure he makes a Euros or a World Cup or he will end up like me. This is my last chance so I need to make sure we give everything.”
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