'Nice bottle of red': Celtic legend's request ahead of Scottish football's intriguing game of day

Former Celtic manager Lennon will come up against his ex-captain Brown on Saturday afternoon at Somerset Park as his Dunfermline Athletic side face Ayr United in the Championship. It will be Lennon's first match in charge of the Pars since taking over last week and there is even the added ingredient of Brown's former midfield teammate Victor Wanyama playing for the visitors after he agreed a short-term deal on Wednesday.

Throw in the fact that all three have Celtic connections, were midfielders and share the same birthday of June 25 and you can see why Wanyama called this reunion "a fairytale".

Brown and Ayr, who are sitting third in the league, will want to leave sentiment in the tunnel against a Dunfermline side that is currently second bottom of the table and in need of victories to (a) avoid the relegation play-off and (b) stave off any threat of Airdrieonians, who are currently six points behind them, mounting a charge.

“I have told him already to have a nice bottle of red in the office afterwards," joked Lennon ahead of the match. "I was speaking to him last Saturday and he’s doing a fantastic job.

“It’s a really tough opening game for me, but it’s not about me and him and he’ll tell you that. He’ll have his focus and I’ll have mine, but I’m looking forward to seeing him, obviously.

‘Amazing’ Celtic player

“He has leadership qualities and he was an amazing player. I think he was underrated and undervalued at times. In my two spells at Celtic, he was exceptional. He would have been the first name on my team sheet every week.

“He could do everything. He could play, he could battle, he could pass it, he could tackle, he could lead the dressing room and he did that for a long, long time. His trophy collection speaks for itself.

“He looks quite smart, actually. He was dressed all in grey the other day, he’s done his hair up and that! But he’s done a great job.

“I think he’s got a good No.2 with Steven [Whittaker]. They’re very close and they’re very aligned with their ideas on the game.

“He’s smart. You don’t be the captain and the player that he is without having a huge amount of football intelligence and tactical nous as well.

Brendan Rodgers and co

“And he’s worked under a lot of really good managers as well. Obviously Gordon [Strachan], Brendan [Rodgers], myself, Ronny [Deila]. At the national level as well. Tony Mowbray when he was at Hibs, so I’m sure he’s learnt a lot from everyone.”

Lennon said he has watched former managers and captains coming up against each other in the past and noticed the changed dynamic. “I always remember Martin [O’Neill] coming up against Paul Lambert," added Lennon. "I was at the game, it was Sunderland against Norwich and just seeing how that dynamic sort of worked.

“But it just shows how old we’re getting now, I’m going up against my captain on Saturday. I was a six for seven years of my career at Celtic and that’s a position that most coaches sort of come through.

“Browny, as he got older, became more of a six and you’re engaged with the whole team. Your defence, full-backs, midfield players and, obviously, your strikers and he was a really intelligent player. You only had to tell Browny something once."

Hopefully he's got the message about the claret ...