Celtic's Scott Brown not concerned by Joey Barton comments

Celtic skipper Scott Brown has shrugged off Rangers new-boy Joey Barton's critique of himself and claimed he and the "Celtic fan" will get on well.

Brown laughed off comments from Barton that he was "not in the same league" as the former Newcastle, QPR and Burnley midfielder, who had previously declared his affinity for Celtic on Twitter, years before joining Rangers.

Speaking at a press conference to promote Celtic's International Champions Cup tie with Leicester on July 23, Brown said: "I've not been in his league. He's in my league.

"I think we'll get on really well, him being a Celtic fan. So I think we will get on great. The Rangers-Celtic games will be good."

When asked if the comments fired him up, Brown said: "I hear that every day. It's part and parcel of football."

Brown failed to mention newly-promoted Rangers after being asked about what competition the champions expect to face this season.

"I think Hearts and Aberdeen have done great in the last couple of seasons," said the Scotland midfielder, who declared himself fully fit after being troubled by hamstring problems towards the end of last season.

"They have challenged us all the way, and I think they are going to do the same.

"I think it's going to be hard to see past Aberdeen. It's always hard and we have struggled going up there last season, so hopefully we can do a lot better this season.

"Hearts are a great team, strong and physical. But we have a new manager and a fresh start and we will show what we can do."

Brown sat out the last three games of the Ladbrokes Premiership season and Scotland's friendlies against Italy and France but he joined in as Celtic began pre-season training under Brendan Rodgers on Monday.

"That's me back to normality now," he said. "I had a good four or five weeks off for the first time in 10 years, so it's been lovely.

"I was straight back into training and I feel fine. I feel just as fit as I was last season when I was playing without injury."

Brown, however, knows he needs to prove himself to Rodgers.

"It's a fresh start for everyone," the 30-year-old said. "We've got a big squad and the gaffer is seeing everyone and everyone is giving it a proper go to try and be in his plans for the first game of the season.

"I need to start over just like everybody else. It's a fresh start for me as well, I need to show what I can do on and off the park, in the dressing room, show everyone pretty much at Celtic Park as well, because last season was hard for everyone.

"Now there's a new manager and a fresh start and we are all looking forward to it.

"For me personally he's going to be great for me, and all the other lads, just learning. Where he has been, and what he has done in the game, is exceptional."

Brown revealed Rodgers was trying to get to know his captain.

"We speak quite a lot together," he said. "He speaks really well and I sit down and listen. His ideas and his philosophy, the way he wants to play the game, is exceptional."

Barton was quick to respond to Brown, posting a picture on Twitter of the midfielder wearing a Rangers strip in a team photo taken during his days as a child training with the Ibrox youth set-up.

The boyhood Evertonian wrote: "ok Scott. No pictures of me in a Celtic kit pal...😂

"Where I'm from you support one team. You might look for results of others foreign teams, but you only really support your team."

Barton added: "If you were a dyed in the wool Everton supporter you don't wear Liverpool kits as a kid. In fact, you'd never be taken seriously if you did."