Liam Scales' Celtic rags to riches story has former Player of the Year defender saying he's 'lot like me'

Similarities in Irishman’s journey to ex-Celtic player who won award treble in 2011-12

Liam Scales in action for Celtic during the 3-0 win over St Mirren on January 2. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

It is beyond question Liam Scales has the confidence of Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

The centre-back has played every minute of the club’s past 26 games… having failed to even make the squad for the opening two league games as a permanent move to Aberdeen seemed in the offing. A transformation that has led Rodgers to reveal the 25-year-old will shortly be handed a new contract with his current deal up in the summer to cap an “amazing story”.

Charlie Mulgrew knows all about such a rags-to-riches football odyssey for an imposing, left-sided defender for a simple reason: he lived that very tale. Rejoining a Celtic with which he had come through the ranks come the summer of 2010, the union seemed destined to be unhappy for player and club as he struggled across his opening six months. Only for his fortunes to flip so completely that, by the end of the following season, he scooped the Scottish award treble of players’, writers’ and SPL player of the year honours. Rodgers has been credited for showing sufficient faith in Scales that he turned to him in an injury crisis ahead of September’s derby win at Ibrox. Mulgrew, though, accents the player’s slant over what has subsequently ensued.

“It’s good to have [the backing of your manager], but it is also credit to Liam that he has gained the trust,” the 37-year-old said. “When you gain that trust of a manager, he feels confident to pick you and he will pick you. Liam must be one of the first names on the team-sheet now and he has really stepped up with the injuries to centre-halves such as Cameron Carter-Vickers. He has really stepped up for Celtic and he is possibly one of the players of the year, so far.

“It’s hard [to bide your time as Liam had to do], but you just have to keep training away and hope that opportunity comes. It can maybe take an injury or something. You need to keep working at it in training when maybe you have not been in squads, or have been on the bench, or maybe it looks like the club wants you to go on loan. Sometimes you need that to get that wee break, but then also you need to have the mental strength when it comes around to go on and step up and take it. It’s all about results as well, obviously. If the team are not picking up results, it’s automatic when you have just come into the team that people look at you. He’s kept clean sheets, he did well against Rangers at Ibrox in one of his first big games. What a big test for him and he’s done well.

“I have said that, in the way he plays, left-sided centre-half, and the way he got into the team - all of that - it reminds me a little bit of my time there and it is good to see it. He’s got all the attributes. He’s composed on the ball and that’s important with the way that Celtic want to play. It’s important that Celtic have centre-halves who are good on the ball with that composure and he also defends well. He seems to sense danger well, seems to just sniff it out and heads the ball when it comes into his box. It sounds pretty basic, but he has the attributes you need to be a defender at Celtic.”