Celtic’s nine-in-a-row captain Scott Brown was almost released by Hibs, recalls former Easter Road youth team-mate

Club were undecided on midfielder who went on to make record transfer move to Parkhead
Scott Brown in action for Hibs in 2006. Pic: Bill Murray, SNS GroupScott Brown in action for Hibs in 2006. Pic: Bill Murray, SNS Group
Scott Brown in action for Hibs in 2006. Pic: Bill Murray, SNS Group

A former Hibs team mate of Scott Brown has revealed the Edinburgh club almost missed out on signing a player who would go on to net them their record transfer fee.

Jonathan Baillie, who made his Hibs debut aged 18 but was forced to retire three years later due to back injury, played alongside Brown in the youth ranks at Easter Road.

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The pair are now 34, with one having gone on to have a trophy-laden career with Celtic following his £4.4m move in 2007, while the other dropped into the junior ranks with Glenafton, Whittlets Victoria and Troon.

“Scott and I were the same age so we played together through 14s, 15s and 16s,” Baillie said. “Ian Black was also with us for a time and Ally Brown, the goalkeeper, is still one of my best mates to this day.

“We had a good squad and a good bunch of boys. You listen to a lot of players now saying it was the best days of their career and it really was, being that daft 16-year-old, just playing football and carrying on every day.

“The stuff we used to get up to in the dressing room, and going out to train with your mates, we didn’t have a care in the world.

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“You couldn’t tell at that time that Scott Brown would go on to have the career he’s had. Not really at the age. He was unbelievably fit for a lad that could soften a packet of biscuits in five minutes. He just ate, and was full of carry on.

“He played up front most of the time or out wide, and he would just run about. But from 17, 18, 19 he just improved so much. You couldn’t see him going on to be as good as he has, but I suppose if you’ve got that base level of fitness you can always get better in other aspects.”

When it came to the point of being either released or offered a full-time contract, Baillie recalls that Hibs were initially undecided over a player who would go on to win nine consecutive Premiership titles at Parkhead, as well as captaining Scotland.

“I’m not sure if Hibs actually wanted to bring him in full-time. I think there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing about whether to offer him a contract,” he said.

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“Looking back, what a mistake that would have been, but thankfully they did. He’s a great lad as well. Nothing phased him as you can imagine nowadays, he’s just the same as he was back then.

“I’m delighted for him, and all the boys I played with that have done well. Guys like Steven Whittaker, Kevin Thomson, as well as Gary O’Connor and Derek Riordan who were a bit older than me, but it was still great to see boys go on and do well. There’s no point feeling anything but happy for them.”