Gothenburg Great Gordon Strachan insists Aberdeen team captain Scott Brown can play until he is 40.
Former Celtic manager Strachan brought Brown to Celtic Park in 2007 for a record fee between Scottish clubs of £4.4million and also appointed the midfielder captain.
Brown’s trophy-laden career at the Hoops came to an end in the summer when he left for a new challenge as player-coach at Aberdeen and Strachan, who hung up his boots at Coventry at the age of 40, has backed the 36-year-old to continue playing as long as he feels up the task.
He said: “Absolutely he can play until he is 40. Of course he can, as long as he keeps his fitness levels up, loves the game most importantly had good players beside him.
“The new challenge is wonderful for him and I think a couple of new challenges can keep him going for another couple of years in football and it’s good he has taken it up.”
Following a 14-year spell at Celtic Park Brown’s decision to move north for a new challenge with the Dons surprised many but Strachan is not one of them.
The former Scotland manager believes the dual role with Stephen Glass at Pittodrie will galvanise his former player and give him a new lease of life.
He said: “It would have been easy to join a club closer to home down the road or retire but it says a lot about him that he is living up here just now. It’s typical of him when he’s doing something he really puts his mind to it.
“The thing with Scott is, he’s a learner. He’ll be the same as a coach. He wants to take in information but he also likes people and leading them. Whether he is a captain or a coach he loves dealing with people.”
Brown’s desire to pursue a coaching role is not new and Strachan says the former Celtic captain first mooted pursuing a new career off the pitch to him years ago.
The former Scotland manager’s advice was blunt and to the point.
Strachan said: “Scott wanted to talk about coaching six years ago and I told him to forget it as he still had far too much to offer as a player.
“Once you start coaching you are thinking about retirement and he really shouldn’t have been contemplating that at that time.
“He has always been a driven, focused and passionate player and I know how much he is enjoying his new role at Aberdeen.
“If there’s one thing he has shown in his career is that he always fully committed to whatever he does. I don’t expect that to be any different. I know how much he is enjoying a new challenge at this stage in his career.”