VISITORS to Celtic Park these days can't help but be impressed by tributes which pay homage to the club’s past glories and tip the hat to more modern triumphs.

There are the statues, of course, which begin with Billy McNeill and end at the iconic trio of Walfrid, Stein and Johnstone.

Hanging from the stands bearing the names of Brother Walfrid and the Lisbon Lions, there are legendary past players from Lennox to Larsson, from Peacock to Petrov, the great and the really great are all there.

Read more: Scott Brown is now a genuine Celtic legend and deserves his place beside the club's icons

Glasgow Times: Carlos Pena found it difficult to stop Scott Brown by lawful means

Only one present Celtic player has been given a place at this top table. Scott Brown is that man and it wasn’t so long ago that many would have questioned whether he's really earned his place among Tommy Burns and the rest.

True, he had captained the club through one of its most successful periods, but Brown was no Bobby Murdoch or Paul McStay. That was the consensus then.

How things have changed.

The skipper might not be as revered as those mentioned above; however, surely nobody could now argue that Brown is undeserving of being seen as a bona-fide Celtic legend.

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The now 32-year-old hard has hardly missed a game, never mind a tackle or a pass for that matter, since Brendan Rodgers arrived in Glasgow. Brown’s performance against Rangers at the weekend was a masterclass in how to run a midfield.

Carlos Pena, I am led to believe, started ahead of Kenny Miller because Pedro Caixinha believed his big summer signing could take care of Celtic’s No8.

Yeah, right.

Brown has grown to be a superb leader, which he not always was when wearing that armband. His all-round play has improved ten-fold and his in your face style winds up opposition players, supporters and on Saturday the manager.

Whenever Celtic take the field, the other players must look at Brown and think to themselves; “We’ve got a chance with this guy.”

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And those who seek to get at him, he had insults and coins thrown at him, they are wasting their time. It only makes him stronger.

“Scott is massive for us,” admitted Tom Rogic. “When you have your captain leading by example in almost all of our matches - and you saw it in the cup tie at Dundee as well. He seems to win every 50-50 he goes into.

“He puts himself about for tackles and when the ball comes to him, he is calm and composed. He gets us set up on the right foot. He is crucial for us. He’s been at this club for years now, he is a leader who leads by example.”

Does Brown ever cross a line? Rogic doesn’t think so and nor should anyone else. What Rangers would give for a midfielder with such a strong personality.

“Scott has been an exceptional player for a number of years now. He will be one that, when he stops playing, people will look back and see him as a real legend of the club.

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“I don’t know what the Rangers manager saw (at half-time). That’s not really my place to comment. But Scott’s a good leader.

“I guess time will tell whether he will be fully appreciated. We are fortunate to have a captain like him to play under. It makes our job easier.

“Personally, he’s been great for me. He’s been a massive influence at the club since day one for me.

“He’s one of the few who are still here since I joined. He doesn’t always have to say something to you, he just leads by example. It rubs off on his team-mates.”

Celtic coasted to a 2-0 win at Ibrox. Rangers had their moments but the gulf was there for all to see.

Rogic almost scored in the first minute, he was denied by a superb Wes Foderingham save, and he, Stuart Armstrong and Scott Sinclair all passed up good first-half chances before the big Aussie swung his lethal left foot at the ball five minutes after the break.

Read more: Scott Brown is now a genuine Celtic legend and deserves his place beside the club's icons

From that moment on, there was really only going to be one winner.

Rogic said: “We felt good out there. I think, from start to finish, we felt pretty comfortable in the match. We even possibly could have had a few more goals.

“We feel like we are going to win every game we go into. We have that mind-set. We are not too focused on their thinking going into the game.

"I think it is important just to focus on ourselves. That is what we did. That is what gives us the confidence to keep going game after game and keep winning.

“There was a bit of good fortune involved in my goal. The ball just fell to me and I had to be alive to it. I tried to get a good quality strike on target and thankfully it went in.

“To be honest, I thought that one in the first minute was going in more than the goal I actually scored. It was a good save.

"We started the game really brightly. In the first five or 10 minutes we were on top. We were unfortunate not to capitalise at the start.

“We have been laying down markers in all the matches we have played. That’s why we’re successful, that’s why we keep going game after game unbeaten.

"We just focus on ourselves and prepare for each match as it comes. It wasn’t any different on Saturday.”

It's a winning formula, that's for sure.