Scott Brown: I'm ready to win over Aberdeen doubters

Scott Brown has said he’ll give his all to win over the Aberdeen support and revealed he couldn’t turn down the Dons when they made their job offer.

The Celtic captain will leave Parkhead after more than a decade in the hoops, heading north to join Stephen Glass’ staff as player-coach when the new Aberdeen boss starts his rebuilding job in the summer.

Though a fan’s favourite with the Celtic support after a trophy-laden spell where his combative style has been central to the club’s success, rival fans haven’t always taken kindly to the midfielder.

Some Aberdeen fans have already voiced reservations or hostility to the idea of Brown moving to the club, but the 36-year-old intends to get his head down and work to to win them over if he can.

He said: “I had to win over the fans at Easter Road coming through as a young lad.

“I had to win over the fans at Celtic as well and I am sure there will be in both sets of fans still some who don’t like the way I play but that’s part and parcel of football, you can’t please everybody.

“But wherever I go, whoever I play for, I will give 110% on the park, give a lot on the training round as well and I will always do what is best for the football club.”

Brown’s Celtic exit comes at a transitional time for the club with a new manager to take charge this summer, as well as chief executive Peter Lawwell retiring.

A contract extension was on the table for Brown and he said he did consider staying, but not knowing who would be in place in the new structure played a part in his thinking as he assessed his options.

“I got offered another year at Celtic,” he said. “It is a hard situation just now because it would have to be sitting waiting to the end of the season to see who comes in.

“For me, to have that fresh start with someone I know, trust and respect fully, and maybe sitting in at Celtic to the end of the season not sure what to do or who is coming in – I think that played on my mind as well.

“It will be a sad time when I do leave but it has been fantastic, I have enjoyed every moment of it, winning trophies, winning games, playing in front of our fantastic fans.”