Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers defends Scott Brown over Craig Levein's comments
Thursday 1 February 2018 15:19, UK
Brendan Rodgers has hit back at Craig Levein’s comments about Scott Brown following Celtic's win over Hearts on Tuesday.
Hearts midfielder Harry Cochrane, 16, suffered a collarbone injury during their 3-1 defeat at Parkhead on Tuesday after an aerial challenge with the Celtic captain.
When asked if young players needed more protection from referees, Levein said: "I think everybody should get a bit more protection from Scott Brown really."
Speaking on Thursday, Rodgers leapt to Brown's defence and insists his team always play hard but fair.
"There was nothing in the tackle," Rodgers said. "They competed in the air and the young guy [Harry Cochrane] was unfortunate. You could argue: 'should a 16-year-old be put into a game of that magnitude against the best team in Scotland?'
"The young player showed he could handle it in the game at Tynecastle.
"We had to be aggressive in the game, we had to have intensity but that is how we play every single game.
"Scott Brown goes into every single game to dominate. That is what I ask him to do."
The Hoops' win in midweek over Hearts avenged the 4-0 defeat earlier in the season that ended their 69-game unbeaten run, and Rodgers says that was his players' only motivation.
"The game the other day was my 101st game and it was the easiest game I had to give the players any motivation for.
"In the aftermath of the last game, with one or two comments that came out that questioned our desire to win the game.
"The motivation for our players was simple and I think they showed that in their performance.
"Scott Brown is a great example of a top-class player who plays on the limit every single game."
