THE drab supposed five-star hotel in downtown Minsk seemed to have lost at least three of their consolation boasts somewhere along the way.

Even by Belarus standards, it was a pretty grim place and yet this is where 40-plus Scottish professional international footballers, manager, coaches, staff, suits and a few hangers-on stayed before a World Cup qualifier, which came at the end of the season in June 2005

The under-21 squad were in the same digs and this meant that a group of us hacks on the trip were asked along to speak to one of the players before they played their own game 24 hours before the senior side.

It just so happened that the lad put up was Scott Brown, a midfielder still to turn 20 whose no-nonsense all-action style had made him a firm favourite with the Hibs fans.

Read more: Gordon Strachan: I expect Celtic skipper Scott Brown to play on for Scotland

This wasn’t Brown’s first interview, but it was the first one anyone took notice of. This is when he admitted to possessing so much energy that sitting down was a problem. That he loved fizzy drinks which made him more hyper and he found it impossible to find any sort of inner calmness.

If memory serves, the SFA press officer spent the entire time trying to get ‘Broony’ to stop talking. He completely ignored him, as he does at those at Celtic who now simply roll their eyes while the captain coughs up another back page headline.

He was full of enthusiasm that afternoon, speaking well about his career, football and how much it meant to play for Scotland at a time when most of his team-mates would have been lying beside a pool nursing hangovers.

And here’s the thing. Brown knew he was on the bench. He wasn’t even starting and yet you’d have thought he had a World Cup final the very next day.

Brown hasn’t changed. Not that much. Of course maturity comes to us all, even this guy, and from those early days dealing with him right up until the present day this is one footballer every journalist loves.

He is open, funny, eminently quotable and does not giving a flying Frank McGarvey about what anyone thinks of him.

Which bring me to this.

Brown’s decision to come out of international retirement, at least for two or three more games, is not him giving it the old ‘what a great guy I am to put my country before me’. It’s not for PR.

Read more: Gordon Strachan: I expect Celtic skipper Scott Brown to play on for Scotland

There was no real outcry when he did call it quits and while some grumbled when he was brought back in, most notably Charlie Adam, you could tell in his performance at Wembley that he wanted to be out there.

Brown doesn’t pay any attention to criticism. His decision is all about helping out the country. You have to say that’s more than admirable.

“I spoke to him (Brown) in the last 10 days,” revealed Gordon Strachan this week. “I see no reason why Scott won’t be in the next squad. No-one has come to me and said I won’t be in the next squad.”

Strachan is wrong. There are many reasons why Brown should return to putting his feet up during international weeks.

He is playing his best football, not just for years, but in his entire career. “I’ve even got a step-over now,” he joked recently and he does. It even sometimes works.

Brown’s body has at least healed and a lot of that is down to rest. You don’t get much of that as Scotland players as the international calendar never seems to end. Being a footballer is brilliant, but being Scott Brown the footballer does not come without wear and tear.

Let’s get back to that likeable lad in Belarus. All he wanted to do was kick a ball. Fast forward 12 years, which is a scary thought, and all he wants to do is play football.

There will be some Celtic supporters not overly keen on Brown change of heart. This is understandable.

However, what I would say is that this is a man who deserves to be given a break if he wants to play for Scotland. He has earned that, surely.

Read more: Gordon Strachan: I expect Celtic skipper Scott Brown to play on for Scotland

And let’s be honest. Our national team is pretty poor and, unless a miracle occurs, we will be out after the England game. Maybe even before. That is when Brown will call it a day for good.

Europe is not a concern any more and given the league will be wrapped up, perhaps within a matter of weeks, there will be plenty of scope for Brendan Rodgers to rest his skipper ahead of what Celtic hope is the final leg of a treble.

So it’s not like a year ago when an unfit Brown dragged his body around a field for club and country, doing himself damage in the process and not being allowed any downtime at all. When that was the only thing he needed.

Brown is currently odds-on to win every Player of the Year award at the end of this season. He could captain Celtic to a clean sweep. He might even be the hero as we beat the English at Hampden.

A year ago it looked as if he was finished. Perhaps Scott Brown is just getting started.