Alistair Johnston blown away by Celtic team-mate he’s only just come in to contact with

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Alistair Johnston has become the latest Celtic figure to praise Liam Scales.

The Irish defender has been rejuvenated in recent weeks. Scales was named man of the match in our derby win over Rangers at the start of the month and was arguably our best performer in Tuesday’s meeting with Feyenoord.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers described Scales as “outstanding” after the 2-0 loss while Joe Hart used the word “fantastic” to describe his performance.

Now Johnston has gone a step further in his praise of the 25-year-old who many had written off. The Canadian has only just come into contact with Scales — the defender spent last season on loan at Aberdeen — but it hasn’t taken him long to see the talent.

Johnston told The Herald: “We had a really difficult spell a couple of weeks back when it just felt like centre-halves were dropping like flies. But we’re starting to get those guys back and it’s giving us confidence.

“But, at the same time, the guys who have stepped up have done well. I think Liam Scales has been unbelievable since coming into this role. A lot of people probably felt they’d never see him in a Celtic kit again.

“He’s been one who has just taken it and grabbed it with both hands and hasn’t let it go. Arguably, he’s been our best player these past couple of matches. That’s been really impressive seeing it as a player on the pitch, just seeing the confidence he plays with.

“I wouldn’t have seen him before [last season]. But I knew what he’d done at Aberdeen the previous year.

“I’ve been blown away with his composure on the ball. He’s been better on the ball than I could’ve imagined. No matter what’s going on in the match, he’s composed on the ball, finding his passes and that’s something I’m really impressed with.”

So more big words from Johnston about Scales. It’s clear that the former Shamrock Rovers man is well-liked inside the Hoops dressing room. If he can keep up his current levels he may become a bit of a cult hero amongst the fanbase too.

Johnston, meanwhile, has settled in well after a lengthy injury layoff. Tuesday night was just his fourth game back and his second 90 minutes. He was one of our better performers on the night and already looks taylor-made for Champions League football.

Let’s see what he has to offer over the coming five matchdays.

In other news, former Celtic star nets in Champions League as Tierney impresses and Juranovic suffers more Madrid pain