Kevin Thomson has defended Scott Brown’s antics after savage criticism from Colin Hendry and insists it’s up to rival players to stop taking his bait.
Former Scotland skipper Hendry claimed the way the Aberdeen star conducts himself is not fitting behaviour for a club captain.
Brown wound up Rangers star Ryan Kent after he was given his marching orders during a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie.
The veteran midfielder has previous and in particular during many Old Firm battles before his switch to the north east.
Thomson, though, leapt to his defence and after their close friendship from their Hibs days rose about their days as Old Firm rivals.
And the former Rangers man admitted his opinion on the 36-year-old has even seen him jeered by Ibrox legions.
Speaking on BBC Sportsound, the Kelty Hearts gaffer said: “Anyone can knock him but the reason he’s done so well is the reason there is so much animosity towards him from other fans.
“If you’re not big enough and brave enough handle Scott Brown winding you up then that’s on you.
“He does what he does and has had a brilliant career and continues to do and if ever you wanted a chance to knock him off his pedestal then this would be it and some of them still struggle.
“It’s not the way I was or what I would do but Scotty is his own person and gets to do what he wants to do.
“He’s had an unbelievable career that anyone in Scotland could only dream of.
“You need to be big enough and hard enough to deal with it. If you can’t deal with Scott Brown winding you up then that’s your problem.
“I played with and against Scott and he’s one of my good mates – I’d go to the gutter for him any day of the week and vice versa.
“I love him to bits and I’ve had to say that in front of 500 Rangers fans in a social club before and get booed but I won’t change for anyone and it’s the same for Scott.
“When we played in Old Firms against each other there was no banter - we want to war. When I played with him we went to war together.
“You would want him in the trenches with you and Aberdeen have landed on their feet getting Scott Brown.
“He’s been on one side of the Old Firm and one side doesn’t like him and the other love him.”
Hendry had said: “That's not what captains do. There's players in the game, in the teams that I've played in, will do that.
"But take the armband off, hand it to somebody else and go and do your Robbie Savage stint."
