Incoming Celtic captain Scott Brown will improve every Aberdeen player – not just the young midfielders, insists boss Stephen Glass.
Landing the 35-year-old Parkhead legend was a transfer coup and statement of intent from Glass with his first signing of his Aberdeen reign.
Brown rejected the offer of a new contract at Parkhead to move to Aberdeen on a two-year deal in the summer in a player-coach role.
Glass is on the verge of securing another major signing as he ramps up his squad rebuild, with a deal to secure Motherwell skipper Declan Gallagher set to be pushed through.
Scotland international centre-back Gallagher, 30, who is in contention to make Steve Clarke’s Euro 2020 squad, is out of contract at Motherwell at the end of the season.
Aberdeen look to have have beaten clubs like Championship Cardiff City to win the race to sign Gallagher, capped seven times by his country.
Following the disappointment of the 3-0 Scottish Cup quarter-final loss to Dundee United, boss Glass confirmed he aims to sign players with both quality, physicality and a competitive, winning edge in the summer transfer window.
Brown and Gallagher bring those qualities.
Aberdeen have one of the brightest young midfields in Scotland with Scotland Under-21 international trio Ross McCrorie, 22, Lewis Ferguson, 21, and Dean Campbell, 20.
There is no doubt all three will benefit from Brown’s knowledge and experience.
However, Glass insists Brown’s influence will filter through the entire squad, not just the rising central midfield stars.
He said: “Scott will come in and on the pitch will certainly help the midfield players.
“But his mentality will help the entire group.
“His persona will help the entire club.
“The reason we have brought Scott here is because he is a top, top professional.”
Brown started for Celtic in the 1-1 draw against Aberdeen at Pittodrie last month in a deep-lying position in a midfield diamond and was substituted after 80 minutes.
The next time the former Scotland international captain takes to the pitch at Pittodrie, it will be in a red shirt.
The enormity of securing Brown was underlined by Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell’s insistence that the Parkhead board “desperately” tried to keep their skipper at the club.
Brown made more than 600 appearances for Celtic in a 14-year career, 11 as captain, and won 22 trophies at the Parkhead club.
He led the Hoops to an historic quadruple treble and nine league titles in a row.
Brown is close to completing his Uefa A licence and began his coaching badges six years ago and has experience of coaching the Celtic U20s.
Glass said: “Scott has done his bits and pieces and is very close to finishing his A licence.
“If people are not in the spotlight coaching, people think they are not coaching.
“That has almost happened with myself a wee bit.
“However, Scott is doing his hours coaching.
“He is maybe concentrating more on the football side now, because he know what’s coming.
“As you get further on in your career, you have to focus on the playing side.
“However, it is important that people are not pigeonholing him into something that he is not.
“Scott is going to be a very, very good coach.
“He is probably a good coach already, I need to see it first hand.
“But I know what we are getting.”
Brown insisted calling time on his Celtic career to move to Aberdeen is a “new challenge and new chapter” and that it was the right time for him to go.
Glass is balancing the ongoing bid to overhaul Hibs in the race to finish third in the Premiership with the process of strengthening for next season.
Aberdeen host Hibs at Pittodrie on Wednesday May 12 before closing out the season away to Rangers on Saturday May 15 in the final game of the campaign.
He is assessing the current squad during training sessions and games to see which players can fit into his team for next season.
Aberdeen have confirmed qualification to the Uefa Conference League next term and will enter at the second round stage on Thursday July 22.
Glass aims to have the majority of his signings secured by pre-season so that the squad he has built is ready to go in Europe.
He has already made one key signing in Brown and is closing in on a second.
It underlines the big plans Glass has for the club.
He said: “Scott Brown coming to join us is huge.
“The fact that he wants to come shows me how big this club is.”
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