Liam Scales is an out-and-out centre-back for Celtic.
Since being brought in from the cold by Brendan Rodgers three years ago, he has essentially been ever-present in that starting slot at left centre-back.
When brought to Glasgow under Ange Postecoglou in 2021, he had mostly been playing as a left-back and left-wing-back for Shamrock Rovers.
However, Irish football coach and author Larry Mahoney has revealed that Scales was a tricky winger in his earlier days.
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Larry Mahoney: ‘I couldn’t believe Liam Scales was playing centre back’
Mahoney said on talkSPORT: “People are always shocked to hear when I tell them — and you know this — Liam was a winger.
“Liam was a fantastic winger. Liam was an outside left when he was a kid.
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“And I can remember his dad saying, ‘Come and watch Liam playing for the schools international team’, and I went.
“And I was absolutely shocked to find him playing centre-back! I couldn’t believe he was playing centre-back.
“Because he wasn’t just a winger, he wasn’t a push-and-run winger. He was a tricky winger, you know!
“And now, the thing about it is: Liam, a couple of years ago, one of these graphics, or memes or whatever you young lads call it now, came out that Liam was the most successful passer in European football. I think it was the season before last.
“Now… when you’re Celtic’s centre-back, and most of the teams are dropping off in front of you, it’s not that hard to make successful passes.
“But the point I make about that was: Liam was in a team that spent all the way up to the under-10 season without doing any pass.
“Liam’s team, up to under-10, only dribbled. And all the parents were saying, ‘What, I thought this lad was a coach. This lad is mad!’
“They only dribbled. And it wasn’t until they hit the under-10 season, until they were mature enough to start thinking about other people, that Liam actually started passing.
“And now he’s the best passer in Europe!”
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Liam Scales under all three Celtic managers this season
Under O’Neill and Rodgers this season, Scales has started every league game, mostly alongside a fellow left-footer in Auston Trusty.
An injury to Cameron Carter-Vickers has forced Celtic’s hand for most of the season.
But under Wilfried Nancy, things were totally different. Of the Frenchman’s six league games in charge, Scales started just two.
Instead, Anthony Ralston and Kieran Tierney were used as centre-backs in an unorthodox back-three with Trusty in the centre.
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