SCOTT Brown knows the Glasgow derby better than any player who’ll feature in either dressing room tomorrow (Saturday), but he admitted that the absence of fans makes the match unique for all involved. As a result, the captain is adamant he and his team-mates will make themselves heard on the Paradise pitch as they aim to entertain Hoops fans watching from afar.

A victory would see the nine-in-a-row champions climb move back to the top of the Scottish Premiership with a game in hand, and it would extend their fine form to nine wins from nine. The skipper said he is looking forward to Saturday’s encounter, but treats it like any other game at Celtic – which is one he wants to win by playing entertaining football.

“Nothing changes for us in the way that we prepare, the way we analyse, the way we set up, because this is another game that we want to win,” said Brown in an exclusive interview with the official match programme. “Our organisation behind the scenes is similar for every game and as players we can’t infer that one game is bigger than any other, because every game is massive at a club like Celtic. Every game won gets us three points, and every three points is huge for us.

“That said, on the day, it’s a good game to play in. It’s just sad that there’s no fans at this point. The fans always give you that extra push, especially in these games, but we just need to play in the same way which we have without them.

“People like myself, who know the fixture well, and even people like Shane Duffy, who hasn’t played in one yet but knows what it’s about, we need to make ourselves heard. Shane wanted to be here, he wanted to play in these games, and it’s a great opportunity for him. Pulling on that jersey means the world to Shane, as it does people like myself and people like Callum McGregor.”

Brown stressed both sets of players will miss the fans on the day, but said it’s about putting that to one side and making the most of the situation. For the captain, putting on a show and claiming three points now becomes doubly important for all of the fans watching at home.

He added: “Ahead of the game, we know how we’re going to play, what sort of shape we’re going to take, what style we’re going to adopt, all depending on the opponent. That doesn’t change – whether it’s Rangers, AC Milan, Barcelona or St Johnstone – that preparation and focus remains the same. You have to respect every single opponent.

“We always want to entertain. We want to win, that’s the most important thing, and we want to play attractive football whenever we can. We’re well-organised on the park, and I think that’s what we’ve been especially good at this season so far.”

An official match programme is being produced as a souvenir of the game, which you can order ONLINE

Scott Brown: We’ll make ourselves heard in closed doors derby