Scott Brown was bitterly disappointed following Celtic’s 1-0 defeat to Ross County in Dingwall on Sunday, but said he and his team-mates must dust themselves down and focus on their next game immediately.

That takes the form of Aberdeen at Paradise this Saturday, and the captain said that while this season has brought disappointment on a number of fronts, getting back to winning ways in the face of defeat is an integral part of playing for Celtic.

“You go two, three, four wins in a row then have a defeat,” said Brown. “It has been hard for us to take. We know we’ve not played as well as we possibly could have.

“We could have scored two or three goals against Ross County but we’ve got to defend set-pieces a lot better as a team as well.

“You go late, into the 91st, 92nd minute and we’re peppering the goal and we’re forcing mistakes and errors and, to be fair, we still did that. It just wasn’t clear-cut chances that were falling for us.

'We’ve got to focus on our next game and make sure we’re ready. The gaffer’s got to make sure he’s got the best team out possible and that we get back to winning ways quickly.'

“That’s what this club is all about. This season’s not been great for us, and the performance against Ross County probably sums it up.”

Celtic host Aberdeen at Celtic Park this Saturday, having overcome Derek McInnes’ men 1-0 earlier this month, and having drawn 3-3 against the Dons away from home last October. One week after encounter, and the Hoops triumphed 2-0 against the Pittodrie outfit at Hampden in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.

Captain: Our focus is on getting back to winning ways