For a sustained period after signing for Celtic in May 2007, Scott Brown divided opinion among Celtic fans, his approval barometer swinging violently back and forth, season after season.

His first few years at the club were characterised by highs and lows, occasional controversy and infuriating inconsistency. On the one hand capable of dominant Gerrard-esque performances, while on the other prone to misplaced passes and poor positional play, he inspired, frustrated, disappointed, succeeded and failed, often all in the same match

He had already demonstrated his substantial potential at Hibs – though many queried whether he would live up to the £4.4m transfer fee Gordon Strachan paid for his services. Detractors argued that he played the game with undue haste and lacked the refinement required to play centre midfield for Celtic, often these arguments were not without merit.

At one point around 2011, with rumours of interest from Tottenham and Newcastle, few fans would have quarrelled with the board had they accepted a big money bid. Neil Lennon responded to the speculation by offering him an improved four year contract.

Now, as he approaches seven years at Celtic – he has been the recognised club captain for more than half of that period – assessments of his contribution from the manager, team mates and supporters tend towards the positive. While Kris Commons and Virgil Van Dijk are the star turns, Brown is immediately recognisable as the leader of the current team, dictating the tempo of matches, cajoling, encouraging and chastising where necessary, never giving less than his maximum domestically or in Europe.

With maturity has come consistency, and despite those early misgivings, he has developed very well technically. He has improved his discipline, (Neymar incident aside – more of that later), while losing none of his trademark effervescence.

So what has been the catalyst for the transformation from callow youth to Celtic mainstay?

Experience

It’s stating the obvious of course but there’s no substitute for it and Brown has accumulated plenty. He has made 274 appearances for Celtic, 48 of them in Europe. He also played over 100 times for Hibs and is the captain of Scotland, for whom he is currently enjoying a rich vein of form.

Consider the midfield players that have come and gone in his time at the club, many of whom were unable to dislodge him from the midfield slot when fit; Gravesen, Robson, Donati, Crosas, Nakamura, Hartley, N’Guemo, Jarosik, Ki, Ledley (and probably Kayal,) and you get a sense of his impending longevity at Celtic.

Responsibility

Despite butting heads occasionally during their playing days, there is a clear and mutually beneficial affinity between manager and captain. Throughout his tenure Lennon has never tried to contain his admiration for Brown and while perhaps the Lurgan man holds him in slightly higher regard than most other observers, if anyone is qualified to judge a Celtic midfielder it’s the manager.

And it is not just Neil Lennon who rates him, he has invariably been an automatic selection for Mowbray, Collins, Strachan, Smith, McLeish, Burley and Levein when fit.

Brown approaches his media duties seriously but with a typically mischievous relish and a glint in his eye, indicative of a player relaxed with the responsibility he carries. He has curtailed – but not lost – some of his youthful impetuosity and going by the accounts of his team mates, he combines a ferocious work rate in training with a notorious fondness for high jinks.

A recent interview with young starlet Liam Henderson was particularly illuminating as he highlighted the encouragement and advice he has received from the captain since breaking into the team and nearly all of Browns team mates have spoken highly of him in the past. Last season Adam Matthews paid this tribute to Brown after he had turned in a man of the match display against Kilmarnock:

“Scott was brilliant, he always is. He is the soul of the team really. When it’s someone’s birthday, he pulls a little prank on them, he’s the same behind the scenes as he is on the pitch”

Injury free

Brown has overcome a number of serious injuries in his playing days, several of which have threatened to set him back or even end his career prematurely; a broken leg at Hibs in a 2005 Edinburgh derby, fractured metatarsal in 2010 and chronic ankle complaints throughout his career.

When Neil Lennon revealed the severity of Browns degenerative hip injury eighteen months ago, there was real concern for his long term future, though he seems to have established a treatment programme to minimise the problem. During his first season, when he lost his place in the team to Barry Robson and Paul Hartley, he was coming to terms with the loss of his young sister to serious illness, though only he will know how significant an impact that bereavement had on his game.

2013-14 has been relatively injury free for the most part and his performances have benefited substantially as a result.

At his peak or more to come ?

If this is the peak of Scott Browns career and he maintains his current form in the hoops for a few years to come, he will likely be remembered as a very good and successful Celtic captain.

He is no Paul McStay – but then who is – and any comparisons with Neil Lennon himself or Paul Lambert seem a little off the mark for the moment as well. He is probably not quite at that level.

Yet, there remains a feeling there is more to come from Brown and if he is to be remembered in the same manner as those above, he must produce on the biggest stage of all, the Champions League.

His daft flick out at Neymar last season was not a course of action any Celtic fan could condone or endorse and it cost him three games in the tournament. He was left to regret his wildness but the reaction in certain quarters was over the top, bordering on hysterical and UEFA’s punishment also seemed disproportionate.

It should have been no surprise that the team subsequently under performed without him.

Like many players with long service at a single club, his qualities seem easier to recognise in their absence and the tempo against Milan and Ajax was noticeably lower without Brown around to swarm all over his midfield opponents. If Celtic make it through the qualifiers in 2014 we can surely expect Brown to be bursting to showcase his talents in the tournament proper.

He has a few years before he naturally regresses to become a holding midfielder and in that case, he must aspire to score a few more goals in the meantime. Considering the athleticism he possesses, a few more enterprising runs from midfield combined with better finishing could take him to the next level. If he could score 10-15 per season and maintain his current form, you suspect he would be the complete midfielder.

With four titles, two Scottish cups, a league cup and a player of the year award already under his belt, he is gradually laying claim to a place in Celtic’s history. Now is the time for him to summon all of his experience and turn in some commanding displays on the European stage.

He has now captained Celtic to three in a row. In seven years time he will still only be 35, the same age Neil Lennon was when he won his last championship. I know what you’re thinking, and considering he is on record as saying he never wants to leave Celtic, I suspect the thought has crossed Scott Brown’s mind as well.

You can follow Chris on Twitter (@chriscoll10)