Scott Brown has revealed the one time he was “proper rattled” on the pitch after a bizarre threat from Mario Balotelli.
The former Celtic captain faced the Italian striker during a Champions League clash with AC Milan and admitted the exchange caught him off guard.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Brown said: “Yeah, Mario Balotelli. We played Milan away, and I knew he was a good player. I knew he had a little switch that could trigger at any point.
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“I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to have him.’”
But after a heavy challenge early in the match, things quickly escalated. “There was a tackle about 20-25 minutes in, and I’ve munched him about 30 yards out, barely touched the ball. He stood over me and said, ‘You will not leave Italy unless it’s in a body bag.’
"I was like, ‘I’ve not had that said to me before.’”
Brown added: “‘Not sure if it’s true or not, but the mafia over here could probably do that, gonnae help us up, big man?’”