Pat Bonner says Celtic star was ‘nearly out of the door’, but now he has done ‘remarkably well’

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Brendan Rodgers has done many great things in the colours of Celtic.

The trophies Celtic are racking up under his services are a big reason why he will go down as a club legend when the dust has settled.

But the brains behind his genius have played a part in Celtic becoming Scotland’s most successful club, as well as chasing another Treble.

Rodgers’ ability to take a player’s game and raise it to the next level, and beyond, is a big reason why he has continued to be a success in Glasgow.

In some cases, you expect big performances from that player, such as Celtic’s trophy-winning captain, Callum McGregor.

But then there is someone like Liam Scales, who has gone from being out on loan at Aberdeen to becoming a regular starter for the champions of Scotland.

• READ MORE: Andy Halliday claims Celtic defender is the club’s ‘scapegoat’ just like Cyriel Dessers at Rangers

Pat Bonner on Liam Scales ‘nearly being out of the door’ at Celtic

When Rodgers returned to Celtic during the summer of 2023, Scales had just finished his loan spell at Aberdeen and was expected to leave again.

But injuries meant that he started games, alongside forgotten man Gustaf Lagerbielke, including in the Glasgow derby at Ibrox.

Pat Bonner stated that Scales was ‘out of the door’, but now he is proud of how his fellow countryman has developed, as he told BBC Radio Scotland.

“I think he has done remarkably well,” said Bonner about the Republic of Ireland international. “The consistency of him, the way he has developed, developed in this Celtic team and developed since he has come back.

“He was nearly out of the door. Yeah (nearly went back to Aberdeen), which is incredible. His performance the other day, especially on the ball.”

Scales’ stats for Celtic this season

Don’t get it wrong, Scales still divides opinion amongst the fanbase, just like Auston Trusty, with some not happy at how they perform in the big games.

But when you set high standards like Celtic have, including playing in such a pressure cooker of an environment, then you have to take such noise and heat on the chin.

Looking at the overall picture, Scales has been rated at 7.48 by WhoScored for his performances this term.