Brendan Rodgers believes his “lieutenant” Scott Brown gets singled out for stick by Celtic fans because the captain loves the club so much.

And the Parkhead boss even compared his skipper to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard who experienced similar problems when results were poor despite his iconic status at Anfield.

For the past three seasons Brown, 31, has suffered and played through numerous injuries which by his own admission has meant he's rarely been fully fit and that has detrimentally affected his performances for some time.

However, Rodgers showered the midfielder in praise ahead of tonight’s vital Champions League qualifier against Astana in Glasgow and backed Brown to prove he is more important to the team now than he ever has been during his nine years at Celtic.

And at the same time show his critics they are wrong to write him off.

Rodgers said: “I can only talk about experiences before and what happens is that when someone loves a team or a club so much and puts everything into that club, he is normally the one who bears the brunt of it.

“Scott is such a driving force for the team, but sometimes when things don’t go so well for the team that player gets it.

"I saw that with Steven Gerrard. Even with everything Steven did at Liverpool, there were still times when he bore the brunt of it

“Thankfully Scott has a strong character. Mentally he is very good and knows he has a big responsibility here as one of the main pillars of the club."

The comparison between Brown and Gerrard will raise a few eyebrows, especially among a section of the Celtic support who believe the captain’s form over a period of time should have led to him being dropped long before now.

However, Rodgers said: “Scott and Steven are very similar. They want what is best for the club.

“‘Scott’s ambition is for the club, not for himself. That’s what you find in these types of players – they are not selfish.

“Everything they do is based around what’s best for the team and they put themselves secondary to that.

“Steven, like Scott, was a wonderful ambassador for his club, and in the changing room these types are very strong, they are able to lead.

“I always say that is key for the manager. It’s not what they players do when they are with you – it’s what they do when they are not with you.

‘You need your lieutenants in there who can control that and certainly he is one of them.”

Rodgers’s openly admitted that he had thought Brown was a more one-dimensional player than the one he has found at Celtic.

The manager said: "Scott Brown has really impressed me tactically in the work I’ve been looking the team to do. He has shown me over the course of pre-season that he can play as a controller.

“He has shown elements of his game that I probably didn’t think he had, to be honest. But he has also shown he can step up one and be that runner in the corridor.

“My perception of him was obviously from afar. The kid has been a runner all his life, ever since he broke into the Hibs team at 17.

“Then I came up against him in a friendly or two and could see he had a real aggressive streak, which I love.

“Now I’m working with him, I can see he is in great shape. Physically he looks really good. He is healthy in terms of his diet and mentality.

“Tactically, the concepts in the game I have asked him to do - and I’ve looked at him in a couple of positions - he has surprised me how quickly he has picked it up.

“Sometimes players get labelled quickly, such as being athletic and then people just focus on his running.

“But can you develop on the tactical side of the game? From what we have given them so far, which has been a lot, he is tactically very astute. He probes into spaces, fills gaps both with and without the ball.

“His passing is good and he can open it up at times. Of course, like any player it could be better. But he can play it long, short or split the game.

“He is great in the element I love, which is the pressing game. He can really drive the team, hunt and press. Then he has the calmness to make the first pass when he wins it. So he has really impressed me."

Rodgers has done with Brown what Gordon Strachan did with Neil Lennon before him.

He has identified the biggest personality in the dressing room and made him his most important player.

Rodgers said: "I also have to say Scott is a wonderful guy. He has an old school mentality where he leads the team.

"He supports the manager in everything you do.

“Maybe it has refreshed him, I hope it has, in terms of everything we are trying to give him. At 31, he can move into an exciting part of his career where tactically he has a better knowledge of the game where he can perform to another level.”