Scott Brown kept everyone guessing for months but his mind was already made up before a ball was kicked.
The now former Celtic captain revealed he decided this would be his last campaign for the Hoops before the season even started.
And there are no regrets now the time has come to say goodbye.
Brown didn’t get the fairytale ending he’d hoped for with a trophyless season and a low-key goalless draw at former home Easter Road to finish – but he still leaves a heck of a legacy.
Fourteen years, 620 appearances and 22 winner’s medals.
The midfield enforcer has made his mark but he was adamant this was always going to be his last stand – regardless of how this season went.
Sign up to our Record Celtic newsletter
Get all the latest Celtic news sent straight to your Inbox every day by signing up to our newsletter.
We cover every morsel of information regarding your favourite club in the form of articles, videos and podcasts.
The newsletter will arrive every day at 12pm, giving you a round up of the best stories we've covered that in the last 24 hours.
To sign up, simply enter your email address into the link here.
And if you aren't already, make sure you join the conversation over on our Celtic Facebook group and Record Sport Instagram.
Brown will start work at Aberdeen tomorrow and he said: “My mind was made up at the start of the season.
Most Read
“I wanted a new challenge and I knew it was either go and do 10 or finish on nine with a quadruple Treble.
“I wanted to give it one last go and see it as far as I possibly could – and the board and everyone upstairs have been fantastic with me.
“They offered me a new deal to stay and be part of it but I wanted to see how it worked with a different club.
“I had a fantastic time at Hibs. I came to Celtic eventually and had a fantastic time, and now it’s for me to try and push Aberdeen as far as I possibly can with Stephen Glass and Allan Russell, and look forward to the future in coaching with a little bit of playing as well.”
It’s been an emotional few weeks for the skipper as the reality kicked in that his time at Celts was coming to an end. The tributes have been flooding in from fans and former players and managers and Brown admitted he’ll sit down and soak them up over the summer.
He said: “A lot of people have sent me stuff online but I have tried not to look at too much of it with all the games.
“During the off-season I will have a look back at the last 14 years and take it all in.
Don’t miss
“I will smile about it all because it’s been fantastic. There have been so many highs, it’s been one thing after the other, especially over the last four years.
“In the weeks when we had no games it was hard because you are in Lennoxtown and you know it’s your final days.”
It has been especially tough without the Hoops faithful on hand to see him off.
Brown added: “The sad thing is that the fans haven’t been there this season.
“I’ll miss playing in front of 60,000 and not getting the chance to wave goodbye.
“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. I will maybe wave at them or I will get booed off the park!
“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.”
Celtic FC news
Brown will reflect on his glittering time in Glasgow’s East End but his thoughts have already turned to the North East – and he’s preparing to be booted out of the Hoops loop.
He said: “I’ll obviously keep in touch with the lads but I will be out that group chat rapidly.”
In terms of the new Pittodrie project, he said: “I’ve been involved in a little bit of it just now but I’ve tried to distance myself from it because I’m still a Celtic player.
“It’s always going to be in the back of your mind, we’re looking for players, we’re trying to sign people, how we’re going to start coaching and when we’re going to start pre-season. The lads are going to meet up early doors before the first-team lads come back. I’m looking forward to a different role, seeing how budgets work and how recruitment works.
“It starts tomorrow. I usually go away, switch off from football and try not to take too much in.
“Now it’s going to be different, thinking about who we can bring in, session planning, working with the lads, working with fitness coaching, how we can build for next season. It’s going to be great.”
Celtic kid Adam Montgomery was thrilled to be part of Broonie’s send-off in the last couple of games.
The 18-year-old was handed a first start in the midweek win over St Johnstone and made a late appearance off the bench yesterday.
Montgomery has bided his time to get the nod with the Hoops and was thrilled to be part of skipper Brown’s last bow with the armband.
He said: “I feel I have worked hard in training and deserved an opportunity. I was grateful to get that and hopefully I can kick on from here.
“It was a surreal experience being able to be involved in Broonie’s last home game given the legacy he has left at Celtic.
“I have been a winger since I was seven years old and first went to Celtic. I moved to left-back about a year ago because we had a couple of injuries. I wasn’t sure to start off with but the way that Celtic play, the full-back is almost a winger.”
Brown tried to bow out on a high with a winder at a 30-yarder late on as Celtic toiled for a winner against Hibs’ second string.
But we’ve learned nothing goes to script for Celts this year.
Likewise the only time they got the ball in the net in Leith – when Odsonne Edouard curled in a free-kick – it was ruled out because the wall had pinched an inch.
Naturally in Celtic’s cursed campaign the second effort came to nothing.
Much like the second half. Hibs were happy to come through unscathed as they head to Hampden for the Scottish Cup Final.
Meanwhile, Brown and the Hoops are heading in to the unknown.