Celtic have been on a rollercoaster ride this campaign; however, one man who has been a constant throughout is Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales.
Brendan Rodgers has gone on record labelling the 25-year-old as one of the biggest ‘surprises’ of his managerial career, which is quite some praise to receive from a man who has extensive experience working in the Premier League.
This campaign, Scales has risen to prominence and claimed a first-team slot without any issue, making 27 appearances in all competitions, which have yielded one goal and three assists [Transfermarkt].
Ross County await the Scottish champions tomorrow at Parkhead in their first home league match of 2024, in a fixture where the former Shamrock Rovers man could move over to left-back in light of Greg Taylor’s calf strain.
Despite being the obvious choice to fill in, either Alexandro Bernabei or Mitchel Frame could gain a rare start as an alternative, which would allow the Dublin-born defender to continue his excellent work in central defence.
No matter where he plays, Rodgers will be confident in his man’s ability to put in a competent performance, with his side aiming to maintain their lead at the Scottish Premiership summit.
Liam Scales drops surprise update on Celtic contract situation
Scales is under contract at Parkhead until next summer and has previously been mentioned as a target for Belgian giants Anderlecht [Football Scotland].
Nevertheless, Celtic manager Rodgers indicated late last year that the club would look to sit down with his representatives to try and thrash out a deal that would see him extend his stay in Glasgow.
Speaking before the Ross County fixture, the Irish defender has now revealed that there hasn’t been major progress in talks since then, as he stated pre-match [Celtic FC YouTube]: “There’s been nothing really.
“I’m sure that if it happens my agent will be dealing with that and I’ll be playing my games.”
Celtic should look to finalise Liam Scales extension
Celtic have found an unexpected source of defensive solidity in Scales, who was close to leaving the club last summer to join Aberdeen on a permanent basis.
Barry Robson’s men baulked at the Hoops’ price tag of over £1 million for the 25-year-old and the rest is now history, as they say.
Contributing to ten clean sheets in the Scottish Premiership, Scales has also made around 3.8 clearances per league fixture and put up an average Sofascore match rating of 7.58/10.
Once deemed as a spare part, there is no doubt that the centre-back is someone who fans would love to see commit his future to the club alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.
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