Scotland vs Denmark: Scott Brown can inspire the budding generation of Scots, insists Gordon Strachan

Strachan signed Brown from Hibernian while Celtic manager in 2007 and made him his Scotland captain after Darren Fletcher was sidelined by illness

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan enjoys himself during training (Reuters)

The Scotland manager, Gordon Strachan, has hailed Scott Brown’s ability to inspire the country’s next generation as the captain prepares to win his 50th cap.

The 30-year-old will lead out Scotland in their Hampden friendly against Denmark on Tuesday evening, more than a decade after winning his first cap.

Strachan signed Brown from Hibernian while Celtic manager in 2007 and made him his Scotland captain after Darren Fletcher was sidelined by illness. Brown, who captains his club as well as country, helps coach Celtics’s under-20s team and Strachan is seeing his influence on players coming through.

The manager said: “He’s been a big part of my career over the past 10 years and he’s made my life more enjoyable. More interesting, on many occasions. Scottish football would be a duller place without Scott Brown.

“I can see his influence around younger players now, which is terrific. He has not only been a good footballer, but a good help to young players.

“He’s good with people, he likes being with people, he makes everybody welcome in here. And then he trains to a maximum. Anything he does is to a maximum, no short cuts. As [former Leeds manager] Howard Wilkinson used to say to me, the pace of the pack is determined by the leader. He’s a leader and so is Darren Fletcher. We are well-led that way.”

Brown had a goal disallowed on his debut, in a 1-1 draw against the United States in November 2005.

“I was a bit of a hot-head for Hibs at the time,” Brown said. “Now I’m a hot-head at Celtic. So not too much [has changed].”

As Brown joked, his combative nature has remained intact, but he has matured into captain for club and country, something he could not have envisaged during his formative years as a footballer.

“I didn’t,” he said. “I don’t even think Gordon did probably. But he has put a lot of faith in me and I have a lot to thank him for – signing me, making me the player I am and understanding the game to make myself a better player since leaving Hibs.”