HE just couldn’t help himself. As Scott Brown reflected on his Celtic career in the aftermath of a drab goalless draw against Hibernian that marked his last match for the club, it wasn't a tear in his eye, but a twinkle. And one last parting shot for Rangers.

The Ibrox side’s win over Aberdeen saw the new champions go through the league season unbeaten, but not Invincible, according to Brown. Not like the Treble-winning Celtic side of 2016/17.

"It was nice to come back to Easter Road and play my final game for Celtic here,” Brown said.

"It's obviously a sad time but let's be honest, I've had a fantastic 14 years at Celtic. I'd rather be in my situation than a lot of other people's, with 620 games and 22 trophies.

"We have gone proper Invincible throughout the entire season. We have gone Treble after Treble after Treble after Treble - and that's not easy.

"It does take its toll on everyone's body and that is what happened this year.

"We gave it everything we could but we just couldn't get the ten.”

Away from the barbs at the opposition, Brown’s contribution to Celtic on the pitch won’t be defined by this below-par season, both on a personal and collective level. He will certainly be remembered a lot longer than this game, which couldn’t have had more of an end of season feel about it had the Celtic skipper walked out of the tunnel with an inflatable crocodile under his arm.

There has been a nice symmetry to Brown’s Celtic career. His last game for Hibernian back in 2007 was against Celtic, and his final game for Celtic came against the club where it all began for him.

On that day, he scored the equaliser in a 2-1 win for the Hibees, but this was an altogether quieter affair. As it has been all season, lamentably, there were of course no fans. And no goals. And no point, really.

"The sad thing is that the fans haven't been there this season,” said Brown. Though, as much as he would have been given a hero’s reception in his final games, it has perhaps been a blessing for these underperforming Celtic players that the support hasn’t been present for some of the bilge they have served up at times.

"I'll miss playing in front of 60,000 and not getting the chance to wave goodbye,” he continued.

"They have been a huge part of my life over the last 14 years and they've been fantastic with me on and off the field. It's just sad that I can't say goodbye but I will be back with Aberdeen next season.”

How that will go, is anyone’s guess.

"I will maybe wave at them or I will get booed off the park!” said Brown.

"But I wouldn't want it any other way because when I come back I want to be a winner and take Aberdeen as far as I can.

"I have done that at Celtic and have so many fantastic memories from different players and managers.

"It's been one high after the other and now it's a new chapter for me at a new club.”

That has already started as Brown casts his mind towards session planning and potential signings for Aberdeen. But does he have another season left as a player?

“That’s up to Glassy,” he said. “The manager will decide on that.

“I think it all depends on how I come back in pre-season, I always look after myself in the off-season, so if I come back and still feel that I can push the lads as much as I can…

“I’ve managed a 60 minutes and a 90 minutes in the last two days and still feel fine, so I feel like I could still play just now, but four or five weeks off and coming in to a lot of younger lads will be a challenge as well.

“It’s going to be a huge step for myself, but I’m looking forward to every minute of it.”

Hibernian minds were also elsewhere. With third place sewn up, manager Jack Ross fielded what amounted to a second string, with next week’s Scottish Cup final the obvious priority. So much so that he didn’t bother to field a striker, with winger Drey Wright and midfielder Melker Hallberg at what turned out to be, rather unsurprisingly, the blunt end of their attack.

Moi Elyounoussi was a little unlucky with a couple of early chances, denied by one of the home side’s departing heroes in Ofir Marciano. But if this game was a neat summation of Celtic’s season, then one moment in particular nailed it.

Kristoffer Ajer went on one of his trademark runs through the heart of the Hibs defence, earning a free-kick on the edge of the area. Referee Willie Collum then blew his whistle to penalise the Hibs wall for creeping forward a millimetre or two an instant before Odsonne Edouard rapped the ball into the top corner. Good old Willie. Edouard hit the wall with the re-take. Of course he did.

The final word, we’ll leave to Brown, who had this message for a wounded Celtic support.

“Just stick with the lads,” he said. “These lads have been fantastic over the years, we’ve won so many trophies.

“We’ve had one bad season, but if you look at our stats in the last four or five years especially, we’ve won a trophy every four or five months.

“We’ve not done as well as we probably should have this season, but stick with thew lads.

“There will be fresh faces in the building, it will be fantastic, and you will be back to winning ways soon.”