It was not a night that will be remembered with any fondness by Scott Brown.

The Celtic skipper was characteristically vocal about his anger as Celtic were humbled in the Nou Camp earlier this month as the club crumbled to their heaviest ever European defeat.

His frustration at the Parkhead side’s impotency against the best forward line Europe has to offer would have masked any private feelings he may have had as he clocked up a rather significant landmark of his own.

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By donning the shirt for that game against Barcelona, Brown joined some salubrious company as he overtook Billy McNeill’s long standing record of the most European (Champions League/European Cup) appearances for any Celtic player. With 52 continental games for Celtic, Brown has eclipsed McNeill, the most iconic of figures in the cub’s history.

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In addition, Brown has also become the first Scottish based player to appear in the group stages of the Champions League on five occasions. Of other Scottish players only Kenny Dalglish – 68 for those who like that kind of thing – and Darren Fletcher – 66 – have made more appearances than the Celtic captain.

For a player who looked as though his best years were behind him for much of last season, Brown has recovered much of his energy and enthusiasm this term under Rodgers.

And while his stats will ensure that he leaves an impression on the competition – it is difficult to imagine many other Scottish based players racking up five different group campaigns in Europe’s premier competition, particularly if the elite clubs have their way in the immediate future – the player himself will be keen to impose himself in the current campaign by holding his own against the best.

It is not a group that has been kind to Celtic but it certainly carried box-office appeal.

And Scott Sinclair, another chasing the record books with the Parkhead side this season as he bears down on Jimmy McGrory’s tally of eight league goals from his first eight league games, has applauded the contribution that Brown brings to Celtic.

“He is outstanding,” said Sinclair. “Those stats speak for themselves. When you have a player like that who has done it for so long at that level then that tells you something.

“I can only speak from experience and what I would have to say is that he has been great since I came here. He is a leader – on and off the park. He is there all the time but he is still so hungry on the pitch.

“He has an infectious enthusiasm, a great energy but what he is most of all is a winner. He has that mentality. That is what he brings to our dressing room.

“He knows how to play a captain’s part. As much as he might take some satisfaction from making so many appearances for the club at that level, what really drives him is winning. He has that appetite and that is makes him such a good player.”

If Celtic are to do anything in this season’s Champions League campaign, then utilising home advantage will be key.

The Parkhead side host Manchester City tomorrow night as they look to recover from that harrowing night in the Nou Camp, and getting anything at all from the night would be a bonus against the Barclays Premier League side.

It is overstated how much the atmosphere in any ground can have on visiting teams since those who play at the highest level tend to feed off it as much as the hosts.

However, there is a uniqueness to the energy inside Celtic Park on European nights under the floodlights, an expectation that blossomed into serious ambition during the Martin O'Neill era.

Whether they can raise their game sufficiently against City remains to be seen but if they are to go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights, then it will be guys like Brown who will be the required catalysts for engineering a mammoth performance.

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Certainly, Sinclair is undaunted at the magnitude of the task in hand. The player endured a tough time in Manchester with City as his career stalled, but his motivation now lies in continuing the momentum he has built with Celtic rather than reflecting on any latent revenge.

“We are relishing it,” he said. “It is what you want, to have these kind of games to look forward to. It won’t be easy but why shouldn’t we feel that we can go and take something from the game.

“I fully expect that this place will be rocking for the game and I personally can’t wait. I don’t think we have a point to prove because of the Barcelona game or anything like that – they’ll do that to a few teams playing like that.

“But this is a fresh night, we are playing with a lot of confidence and as a team we feel as though we belong at this level. It is up to us to produce the kind of performance that shows that. We are certainly big enough to get out and give it a go.”