Back in his days at Hibernian he was allowed to play with the carefree exuberance of youth. Surrounded by like-minded team-mates and adoring fans who demanded skill, effort but not necessarily victory every single week, he didn't appear to understand the concept of pressure and certainly wasn't affected by it.

A £4.4m transfer fee, the Old Firm fishbowl and personal tragedy seemed to change all that. Even without these concerns, many players find it difficult to settle in at a new club. There is a different system to fit in to, often a slightly different position to play, your new team-mates do not know your strengths and weaknesses and you will be a little sketchy about each of their individual foibles.

If it took one of the world's greatest midfielders, Michael Ballack, a year to start playing well at Chelsea, then Brown's performances last season, when he was a shadow of his former self, were understandable. This time round, however, it has all started to fall in to place.

His integral role in the build up to Aiden McGeady's midweek goal at Kilmarnock showed many of his best qualities in microcosm. A tackle, followed by a cute visionary back-heel pass, intelligent movement off the ball into space to receive the return, then drawing the defence before playing a perfectly weighted pass through to the scorer.

Right now he is looking as confident as he ever has and part of this must be down to the confidence shown in him by his managers. Both Gordon Strachan and George Burley have been happy to play him in a variety of positions, with the Scotland boss deploying him as the sitting midfielder against Norway.

To trust him in this position, Burley had to believe completely in his tackling and passing ability. More importantly, the boss had to trust in his maturity to read the game and not be tempted into brainlessly rushing forward unless assured of cover. It is a clear indication that the Scotland manager recognises that the reckless boy has grown up and accepted that responsibility isn't a dirty word. Maybe this is also why his old mates Garry O'Connor and Derek Riordan aren't representing their country and he is.

Many Celtic fans who watched the 3-0 defeat in Manchester, doubtless through their fingers, thought that the gulf in class might psychologically destroy some of their favourites. There is no doubt that some Celts aren't in the class of the European champions, but I believe Scott Brown would not look out of place in their squad in the same way Darren Fletcher looks at home.

Clear evidence came for me when Nani and Anderson were rattled and clearly frustrated by this tireless worker snapping at their heels. He simply refused to respect their reputations and allow them to play even when the game was won.

It is not in Brown's nature to stand off anyone, no matter their physical size or the size of their reputations and egos. Remember back to that famous win by Scotland in Paris last September. The abiding memory will always be the McFadden thunderbolt, but I have equally warm recollections of hefty slide tackles by Brown and one particular bone-crunching challenge on the famously robust Patrick Vieira early in the game.

It was a statement that never received an effective reply from the Frenchman and from that point the Scotland team seemed to ask themselves the question, are we really up against football Gods or a just a bunch of fading stars, who really don't much fancy rolling their sleeves up and slugging it out for the three points?

Every professional player will claim that he wants to play in the big matches against the world stars, but some do not have it in them to bring their "A" games to these nights. Brown will not be a concern when Gordon Strachan ponders his selection for Wednesday night, indeed he may well be the first name on the team sheet. His attitude shown against Vieira will have to be replicated by the entire team if Celtic are to stand a chance or even just avoid losing heavily. If they do close down and get in the faces of the United players then it is merely mission improbable not impossible.

I was at Goodison Park last Saturday and saw United toy with Everton in the first half. One-nil should have been five amid a flurry of flicks and tricks that bamboozled the home side. However, a few choice words at half-time by Davie Moyes and Everton came out snarling. For the next 45 minutes United couldn't raise their game and they eventually dropped two points and it could easily have been three.

Sir Alex's side are undeniably world class but a weakness was uncovered by what was no more than a workmanlike side. United are rarely quite as fluent away from home as they are at Old Trafford and of course everyone remembers their last trip to Celtic Park in the Champions League.

Since then Gordon Strachan has also taken to tinkering with the tactics, sometimes through necessity such as Wednesday at Rugby Park when any long high balls to McDonald and Maloney would have looked faintly ridiculous. At Villarreal the 4-2-3-1 formation allowed the three attacking midfielders to interchange at will, making them more difficult to pick up, yet still affording the luxury of two sitting midfielders to offer protection.

I suspect this is the system that will ultimately provide Celtic with that Holy Grail of an away win in the Champions League, but I also think it is the right way to shape up against United at home on this occasion. Two major questions still remain, though. Who will play as lone striker in that the obvious choice, Georgios Samaras, is unfit, and where will Brown fit into the midfield? He is the best sitting midfielder at the club and now that he has found what he lost following his move from Hibs, currently it could be argued that he is the best attacking midfielder at the club as well. Maybe there should be another question from Strachan, are there any more Scott Browns out there?