Former Celtic and Scotland captain Scott Brown has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 36.
The midfielder began his career with Hibernian in 2005 and would go on to make a total of 787 appearances for Easter Road club (142), Celtic (620) and Aberdeen (25).
He earned 55 Scotland caps across two spells and won a stunning 23 major honours during his 19-year playing career.
After leaving Parkhead last season to take up a player-coach role at Aberdeen, Brown left the Pittodrie outfit just nine months into his two-year deal in March “to focus on his coaching development”.
That decision led former Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers to offer him a coaching role at Premier League side Leicester City, while current Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has opened the door for a potential return.
Brown is now expected to take his first steps into management and has been strongly linked with the vacant manager’s job at Championship side Raith Rovers.
He said: “It’s been a very difficult decision to call time on my playing career but I’ll be 37 next month and I feel the time is right for me to announce that I’m retiring in order to focus fully on becoming a manager.
“It’s the end of one chapter but the start of a new one and I’m excited about what the future might hold.
“Obviously I will cherish some amazing moments from my time and none better than winning so many trophies during my years at Celtic. So I’m delighted that the club is now about to celebrate winning the title back.
“It was always an honour for me going out there as captain, knowing the lads were listening to you in that huddle, with 50,000 fans behind us wanting us to do our best.
“Yes my last season didn’t go that well but that’s football. You’d take nine out of 10 titles all day long! So I’ll just have to take that one on the chin. But you learn lessons from the tough times too and I think everyone at the club took those lessons on board.”
1. Hibernian (2002-2007)
Brown is congratulated by Kevin Thomson after scoring for Hibs at Celtic Park, the stadium he would ultimately call home for 14 years. Photo: SNS Group Aubrey Washington
2. Scotland (2005-2017)
Former Hibs team-mates Garry O’Connor (left) and Scott Brown share a joke as they meet up with the Scotland squad Photo: SNS Group Jeff Holmes
3. Hibernian (2002-2007)
Scott Brown scores for Hibs against Celtic in May 2007 having already signed for the Parkhead club. He was cheered by both sets of fans Photo: SNS Group Aubrey Washington
4. Hibernian (2002-2007)
The then 21-year-old midfielder moved to Parkhead for a club record fee (£4.4m) in May 2007 just a few months after making his first Scotland start. Rangers, Everton, Tottenham and Middlesbrough were all credited with interest. Photo: SNS Group