Scott Brown was named as Man of the Match following his last ever game at Paradise as a Celtic player this evening, as the Hoops swept St Johnstone aside 4-0.

Goals from David Turnbull, Odsonne Edouard, Kris Ajer and Karamoko Dembele ensured the long-serving captain’s last hurrah in Glasgow’s East End ended on a high (the skipper even assisted Edouard’s strike with a sublime long-ball), but the Celtic number 8 spent most of his post-match interview praising the absent fans.

Here’s Brown’s words to Celtic TV in full: “It’s a great day. We wanted to win, especially given it’s the last game of the season at home. It means so much to myself as well, the 14 years that I’ve had at the club means it’s an emotional day.

‘It’s a special club with special fans and it’s just sad that they’re not here today for me to say goodbye to them in person.’

“But I’ll take it in my stride, we’ve got one game left at Easter Road, where everything started for myself. My last game before I left Hibs was there against Celtic. Tonight was a good occasion, a special occasion for myself and the main thing was we managed to win it.

“We had a debut for young Monty as well, he was fantastic. I think you’ve got to mention him too.

“When I walked through the doors at the club, in that first year I was happy to win a trophy and to be part of that and push on. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs since. My career here has been really enjoyable. I’ve enjoyed every single moment of my time here.

“It’s a special club with special fans and it’s just sad that they’re not here today for me to say goodbye to them in person. Here’s hoping I get to come here with Aberdeen next season and I can say goodbye to them then.

“My message to the fans is: thanks for your support and for your patience. The main thing was, I came here to win trophies. Celtic fans expect trophies. We’ve done that, although it’s been a disappointing season this season. But, believe me, Celtic will be back and challenging next season.

“There are too many people at the club who work so hard to make sure there are improvements year on year, and I think that’s the best thing about this club. Plus, as soon as we get the fans back, every single player gets an extra 10 percent from them.”

Scott Brown: Thank you to this special club and its special fans