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Name: Liam Scales
aka: –
Born: 8 August 1998
Birthplace:
Signed: 27 Aug 2021 (£500k from Shamrock Rovers)
On Loan: June 2022-June 2023 (to Aberdeen)
Left: –
Position: Left-back, Central defender
Debut: Celtic 3-0 Raith Rovers, League Cup, 23 Sep 2021
Squad No.: 5
Internationals: […]
International Caps: [TBC at end of career]
International Goals: [TBC at end of career]
Biog
Irishman Liam Scales must have felt he won the lottery. The young man signed from Shamrock Rovers was relatively quite late on in his development (at the age of 23), and arrived at a Celtic that had turned a corner after a disaster past season, with new manager Ange Postecoglu having quickly won over the support. The defence needed assistance, so opportunities were there if he could make the next step up, and there was confidence in him:
“He is an athletic defender who has the ability to play in a number of positions”
As competition was tough (i.e. Taylor and Juranovic) he was not a regular starter, but he stil won a number of appearances when openings permitted. He scored a fine debut goal v Dundee Utd in December 2021 which brought him to the attention of all, and then scored via a fierce long range shot to take the lead in a 4-0 win over Raith Rovers. It showed skill, drive and talent in the young player.
However, the competition became increasingly too tough in the Postecoglu era, even for established players, and the already big squad meant it was hard enough for Scales to even win an opportunity.
In June 2022, he was loaned out to Aberdeen, with some of their fans protesting that they were fed up with more Celtic loanees! Anyhow, his new manager (ex Celt Jim Goodwin) was positive on him and opined that “Liam Scales (Celtic loanee) and Anthony Stewart can become one the best centre-back partnerships in Scotland”.
Aberdeen may not have been setting the heather on fire domestically but were a fine side initially with Liam Scales getting good reviews on his form. It all went wrong that season and his Aberdeen manager was sacked after a series of poor results, most notably two humiliating results.
Played in the humiliating disaster which was the 1-0 defeat to Darvel, a sixth-tier side in Scottish football who had created now possibly the biggest shock in the history of the Scottish Cup with this victory over Aberdeen. Next was a six nil thrashing by Hibernian, and it was a troublesome time at the club.
With Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Welsh and Yuki Kobayashi ahead in the queue, it was clear that there was now little room for Scales.
One of the most infamous situations he found himself in was when he got punched by Sevco’s Ryan Kent in a League Cup semi-final (January 2023), and alarmingly the Sevco player was NOT sent off, and the incident was NOT referred to VAR! Sevco won 2-1 v Aberdeen in that match in extra-time. The assault was uncalled for, and disturbing, as was the minimal outrage from the media over the incident.
He got his own back, when he scored his debut goal for Aberdeen in a 2-0 win v Sevco (Apr 2023), which really helped his Aberdeen manager (and ex-Celt) Barry Robson settle into his new role. If anything, Liam Scales was transformed under Barry Robson who was getting the best out of him which everyone at Celtic was glad to see.
Brendan Rodgers era (2023 onwards)
‘He’s probably one of the biggest surprises in my career as a coach’ Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praises Liam Scales after impressive performances!”
Rodgers on Scales (Oct 2023)
On his return to Celtic, it was thought this would be the end of the line for him at Celtic, but good fortune was to come his way in this new era under Brendan Rodgers.
In pre-season, he got to play in a friendly match v Dublin (July 2023) under returning Irish manager Brendan Rodgers in a 1-1 draw v EPL side Wolves, which was a great honour. You could see his pride in this moment.
When an unexpected glut of injuries hit Celtic at the start of the season, he was thrown into the deep end, and in only his second match that season he was to play against TheRangers at Sevco in an intimidating atmosphere as there were no away fans permitted at their ground. He was set up in a makeshift central defenced newly arrived & young Lagerbielke, and in truth few were optimistic about Celtic’s chances. Celtic though triumphed 1-0 and Scales was highly lauded as a rock in defence, although his colleague was shakey at times. Scales put in a mature performance and made every critic on the terraces revise their opinion on him, with Rodgers praising him:
“He [Scales] is a warrior… I’m so happy for the players. ”
Brendan Rodgers expresses his delight after Celtic sealed a 1-0 win (Sep 2023)
As a reward he was given a place in the initial squad for the Champions League group stages, an achievement that was unthinkable for him even a few weeks beforehand, demonstrating that the manager had faith in Scales. He duly repaid that with a great performance in an injury ravaged Celtic squad that lost away to Feyenoord, put under pressure with his defensive partner being sent off and the side under par on the night.
Then he go called up by the Ireland squad to make his debut in October 2023; everything was happening so fast, and deservedly so for him at this point, which amazed everyone. It’s no secret that had it not been for their injuries, Liam Scales would have been out of the club in the past summer. On the other hand, it was a situation that gave him an opportunity and he took it with both hands, whilst most others that season when given opportunities to make a name for themselves, simply failed.
From there he was a stalwart in defence, Carter-Vickers was still not at his best post surgery until around the last quarter of the season, and became widely respected. There were reservations over his ability, but he was still one of the better performers.
However there’s no getting around the fact that the defence was generally underpar collectively through much of the season. Opposition sides often targetted the left hand side, with Sevco in particular aiming for set pieces to take advantage, and the strategy did often pay dividends. Rodgers has little had a reputation for his defensive strategies, and at Celtic in key games it was a noticeable weakness. He along with Taylor were often targetted by opposition sides (especially by TheRangers and European sides) but he took all in his stride.
Nawrocki had been brought to Celtic as the main centre-half pairing for Carter-Vickers, but there was some issues both on & off field when it came to that player during the 2023/24 season with him and the manager, and Scales simply just got on with the job. Simply, for the long-term he was likely not a first choice for most but any time he’d been called upon to play, he’d impressed over & over again, and having improved beyond all expectations, he undoubtedly deserved his place in the side.
He helped Celtic in this transition season which was surprisingly much harder than initially forecast, but he was there throughout, with Celtic winning the league & Scottish Cup double. His Celtic career had looked as good as over in the summer, so how things had changed!
As added recognition for his talents, he even won his first international caps for Ireland. So a season to remember and build upon.
[…]
Quotes
“He is an athletic defender who has the ability to play in a number of positions”
Ange Postecoglu (Aug 2021)
“We’ve got a busy schedule coming up and I can’t wait to get going. It was a mad week signing for Celtic and then getting my first international call-up, it’s been mental.”
Liam Scales (Sep 2021)
“It’s unbelievable – on my league debut to come on, it was just kind of ‘Roy of the Rovers’ stuff.”
Liam Scales scoring his debut goal in his debut league game in 3-0 win over Dundee Utd (Dec 2021)
Morning Gossip: Well done Liam Scales who proved many of us wrong “I need to make it difficult for the manager by putting in good performances & if I can keep clean sheets with every performance & be good on the ball and defend well, then I will give him a headache at least.” HH
Scales Sep 2023
‘He’s probably one of the biggest surprises in my career as a coach’ Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praises Liam Scales after impressive performances!”
Rodgers on Scales (Oct 2023)
“It was a good ball in and I just managed to flick it on and it ended up in the back of the net”
Liam Scales on his goal v Livingston (Dec 2023)
“There’s a lot of pressure being involved with Celtic in the Champions League or any game. You have to have a good temperament and be able to handle playing for Celtic. He has shown that.”
Ireland boss Stephen Kenny very impressed with Liam Scales (Oct 2023)
“Playing for Celtic is massive. For me & my family, they are all so proud and I’m proud of myself.” – “Being Irish, there is a connection there, a big fan base in Ireland. For me to be sort of representing the Irish at Celtic, it’s great. I’m trying to enjoy every minute of it because who knows how long it will last.”
Liam Scales (Nov 2023)
–
Playing Career
[Table to indicate clubs played for, including dates, transfers and fees where known [e.g. soccerbase table]]
| APPEARANCES (subs) |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
| Goals | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| 2023-24 | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| Total | |||||
| Goals |
Honours with Celtic
(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)
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Articles
Celtic reach agreement to sign Liam Scales
By Celtic Football Club
Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce that it has reached agreement with Shamrock Rovers for the transfer of 23-year-old Irish defender, Liam Scales, subject to the satisfaction of usual conditions and international clearance.
On satisfaction and gaining clearance, Liam will sign on a four-year deal. Liam will be wearing the green and white Hoops of Celtic having worn the hoops of the Dublin side across the past two seasons, where he has made 50 appearances. Liam has also been part of the Republic of Ireland Under-21 team.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou said: “Liam is a young player who has impressed us and is someone who we think has the potential to have a big future at Celtic. He is an athletic defender who has the ability to play in a number of positions.
“As I have said before, everyone at the club has been working hard to add depth and quality to our squad and in signing Liam I think again we have made good progress. We all look forward to welcoming Liam to Celtic and to start working with him.”
‘It’s easy to crumble under pressure’: Celtic’s Liam Scales on what he had to do before Rangers heroics
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/its-easy-to-crumble-under-pressure-celtics-liam-scales-on-what-he-had-to-do-before-rangers-heroics-4280349
There is no naivety from Liam Scales about the backdrop to a stunning finest day in Celtic colours.
Andrew Smith
By Andrew Smith
Published 4th Sep 2023, 22:31 BST
He know what lay behind his role in the most expectation-defying derby victories for his club in Rangers’ cauldron of Ibrox over recent times, to allow the 25-year-old to become the unlikeliest of saviours for his team. Or, perhaps more accurately, unlikeliest of “warriors” – the word offered up by Brendan Rodgers over his man-of-the-match earning display in the 1-0 victory. Had Celtic not been deprived of centre-backs Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh to long-term injury, had new Liverpool loanee Nat Philips – signed to fill that breach – been up to speed, Scales in all probability would have been nowhere near the Govan ground on Sunday afternoon. As would have been true for his defensive partner in Celtic’s first clean sheet at the home of their bitterest rivals since September 2019, Gustaf Lagerbielke. Essentially, the pair were last resorts for Brendan Rodgers, only for Scales to become first among equals.
The thoughtful Irishman, though, now believes there is no reason why he cannot capitalise on the very scenario that allowed him to perform in a fixture he had been desperate to experience since he joined Celtic from Shamrock Rovers in a £500,000 deal in August 2021. A prospect that had seemed desperately remote when, following a season under Ange Postecoglou where he earned only eight starts in left-sided berths, he was loaned out to Aberdeen for the 2022-23. It was there that he was deployed as a centre-back. As he had never been in Celtic colours until the club’s defensive injury crisis led him looking more than a little shaky even as it was pallid forward play that condemned Rodgers’ men to a scoreless draw at home to St Johnstone the week before their Ibrox exploits. Now, Scales – who was expected to rejoin the Pittodrie side before the window closed ahead of becoming one of the club’s few centre-back options – is aiming to place himself firmly in Rodgers’ thoughts for more than emergency situations.
“All I can do is do my best,” Scales said. “I need to make it difficult for the manager by putting in good performances and if I can keep clean sheets with every performance and be good on the ball and defend well, then I will give him a headache at least. That’s all I am looking at and that’s taking it game by game and make him have a decision to make. I’ve only played a handful of games for Celtic and I had to go out on loan to gain experience last season. To be back here and get into the team, although there were a couple of injuries that helped that, it’s a chance I have to take. Maybe if there wasn’t a couple of injuries I wouldn’t have got this chance. But it’s great to be in this position and I have to make the most of it.”
Celtic defender Liam Scales Hughes Odin Thiago Holm after the Irishman’s stunning performance in the club’s odd-defying win over Rangers at Ibrox. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
Celtic defender Liam Scales Hughes Odin Thiago Holm after the Irishman’s stunning performance in the club’s odd-defying win over Rangers at Ibrox. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
It can be forgotten that Scales now has 200 senior appearances under his belt. Even by him, it would seem. He played over 100 times for first club University College Dublin before racking up another half century of outings for Rovers. Seven of these in European competition. His time at the Tallaght Stadium led to him being described as the “hottest property” in Irish football. Aberdeen’s struggles led to him being derided to the extent that it was almost presented – by the club’s support as much as any else – Celtic would be going into their Rangers confrontation with practically a pub amateur and a junior at the heart of their backline, a duo who inevitably would be taken apart by their opponents. Scales blocked out that chatter.
“I don’t allow any negative thoughts to come into the game, I only have positive thoughts. It’s easy to crumble under pressure so I don’t think like that,” he said. “All the day of the game and all the night before it, I was just telling myself to go and do my thing and show people what I am about because there is no bigger fixture in Scottish football than this and especially at Ibrox. I’ve had to wait for over two years now for the chance to go and play for Celtic against Rangers, with being at Aberdeen last season. To do that and keep a clean sheet as well was brilliant. But I think me and Gus can do better. We are still getting used to each other’s games. We are still learning each other’s games. Neither of us are hugely experienced and it will take time to gel. We know we can do better and we are happy we have kept two clean sheets in a row.”
Scales doesn’t deny he thought Kemar Roofe had put the mockers on a Celtic clean sheet at Ibrox after the forward fired in with 28 minutes played, only for his apparent strike to be ruled out after referee Don Robertson was advised to go to his monitor by VAR operative Alan Muir over the challenge Cyriel Dessers made on Lagerbielke as the Celtic defender dwelt on the ball. The contact behind the frontman winning possession to set-up his team-mate.
“It was to be honest because the ref didn’t give it at first and it looked 50/50 from my angle,” the defender said on being asked if his heart was then in his mouth. “But for him to go and check on the monitor, it must have been clear that it was a foul, so it was a relief. But that we then went on to nick a goal just before half time was a bonus. The second half was all about the grind. Gus said to the ref at the time it was a free kick. Look, you get these decisions sometimes.” And sometimes, you are given unexpected opportunities.
‘It has been hard for me at Celtic, I am not going to lie’: Confessions of team’s former elastoplast solution
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/it-has-been-hard-for-me-at-celtic-i-am-not-going-to-lie-confessions-of-teams-former-elastoplast-solution-4355238
If Celtic’s opening Champions League game in Holland last month against Feyenoord revealed certain deficiencies, the flip side was the level of vindication gleaned from the game by Liam Scales.
By Alison McConnell
Published 1st Oct 2023, 22:30 BST
The Irish defender spent last season on loan at Aberdeen and was regarded as little more than an elastoplast solution to the defensive headaches Brendan Rodgers was left with following Carl Starfelt’s departure and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ move to the treatment room. If the Celtic support were unconvinced by Scales’ credentials, he has offered a decent retort with the performances he has produced in recent weeks. More importantly, perhaps, is what he has proven to himself. And there was a telling remark into the personal journey of the 25-year-old as he looked forward to Wednesday night’s Champions League game against Lazio.
“It’s good for me to get minutes and get a run of games because it has been hard for me at Celtic, I am not going to lie,” he said after Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 league win over Motherwell. “It [Feyenoord] showed me personally that I can play at that level, really. I had never played in a Champions League game and to go there up against the Dutch champions was big for me. And up until the second sending off I thought we were comfortable. So I took from that game that I can be comfortable playing at that level. There is room for improvement – there always is. But if I can go and perform in the Champions League personally and us as a team, we should really keep it going on weekends and in the league too.”
The bar will rise considerably again on Wednesday night as Celtic host the Serie A side in their opening home game of the competition. This time a year ago Scales was part of the chorus at Celtic Park as Ange Postecoglou’s side took Real Madrid with the defender making the trip from Pittodrie to watch the game. It will be an entirely different experience this week as he finds himself charged with keeping the Italians at bay.
“I haven’t experienced it [Celtic Park on a Champions League night] as a player,” he said. “I was there against Real Madrid last year when I was on loan at Aberdeen, so I experienced it from the stands and it was amazing. I can’t wait to experience it on the pitch. It’s definitely a tough place for other teams to come. If we can pick up points at home it can leave us in a good position. We have to make it a fortress and take points off these big teams when they come to Celtic Park. We know we can because we have the ability. We need to make it really difficult for them and see how well we can do in the group.”
Those sentiments may seem ambitious given Celtic’s recent return in Europe’s premier competition across recent seasons. Postecoglou’s side managed just two points as they finished bottom of the group last term with Rodgers will remember all too well the sobering experiences in this tournament during his first tenure. Lazio have their own issues. They lost 2-0 to AC Milan at the weekend to continue their inauspicious start to the season – they have won just two games in the opening round of Serie A fixtures – with domestic pressure mounting.
“A lot of these Champions League games are all about digging in for each other and showing character,” reflected Scales. “The fans will be right behind us because they know how much we had to dig in to get the points on Saturday.”
Liam Scales’ Celtic rags to riches story has former Player of the Year defender saying he’s ‘lot like me’
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/liam-scales-celtic-rags-to-riches-story-has-former-player-of-the-year-defender-saying-hes-lot-like-me-4469133
Similarities in Irishman’s journey to ex-Celtic player who won award treble in 2011-12
Andrew Smith
By Andrew Smith
Published 7th Jan 2024, 22:30 GMT
Updated 7th Jan 2024, 22:42 GMT
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.”
‘I REALLY LIKE HIM,’ BOSS PRAISES SCALES
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/i-really-like-him-boss-praises-scales/
By CQN Magazine on 30th July 2023 Latest News
BRENDAN RODGERS is still pondering the future of comeback Bhoy Liam Scales after his performance in the 1-1 draw with Wolves at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin yesterday.
The versatile 24-year-old defender formed a new-look partnership alongside Stephen Welsh in the middle of the rearguard with Carl Starfelt and Maik Nawrocki ruled out with ankle injuries.
Rodgers also decided against giving game time to Cameron Carter-Vickers who missed the remaining six games of the previous season after going under the knife to recrify a knee problem.
Also missing from the travelling pool of players was Japanese left-sided centre-back Yuki Kobayashi who will be sidelined until late August.
Scales answered the call and played the entire game against the English Premier League outfit and the Irishman showed the sort of form that persuaded the Hoops to fork out £600,000 to take him to Parkhead from Shamrock Rovers in August 2021.
A clearly impressed Rodgers admitted: “Liam’s excellent and I really like him. He’s an intelligent boy.
“He’s come over, obviously gone out to Aberdeen on loan and done really well. He’ll be at an age where he’ll want to play.
“I just think you need to have a strong squad. You have to make sure you have the depth there.”
Rodgers, speaking to The Scottish Sun, added: “I would think Aberdeen are keen to have him back.
“I’ve obviously had a couple of conversations with Barry.
“But we’re in no rush, I’ll just assess it and see where it is. We’ll take it from there.”
Scales in line to play his first game at Parkhead in over a year when the Hoops take on Spanish cracks Athletic Bilbao in James Forrest’s testimonial game on Tuesday night.
Liam Scales: We played as a unit and that’s what won us the game
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
Share
03 Sep 2023, 4:53 pm
Liam Scales produced a Man of the Match performance to help the Hoops keep a clean sheet at Ibrox and, more importantly, take all three points courtesy of a Kyogo goal delivering a 1-0 win for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
It was no more than Celtic deserved for a performance which showed different sides to the team. In the first-half, they dominated the game and created a number of opportunities before Kyogo’s wonder strike on the stroke of half-time.
After the break, the players were called upon to defend resolutely, which they duly did while still looking dangerous on the break.
Speaking to Celtic TV after the derby win at Ibrox, Liam Scales said: “I’m tired, but I’m feeling great. It was a great win and a good performance and great to get another clean sheet.
‘It’s special to do it here, it’s the first time I’ve played here for Celtic. It was brilliant.’
“They had chances but they threw men forward and you have to expect them to create. We defended well and Joe came up with some brilliant saves and showed his experience.
“We dug in for each other. We didn’t play as individuals, we played as a single unit and that’s what won us the game.
“It’s amazing. I haven’t experience anything like this and the intensity and the magnitude of the fixture which is huge. It’s hard to put into words.
“At the same time you have to get up tomorrow and get to work because it’s just three points at the end of the day and it’s not worth any more than the next game.”
Scales knows how much the win will mean to every Celtic supporter, but from his own experience particularly those back home in Ireland.
“I’m sure they’re delighted,” he said. “I hope they’re all in the pub having a good time!
“It’s brilliant to do that for the fans back home and it’s extra special. I hope they’re all having a good time. My phone is popping with messages and they’re all delighted!”
Liam Scales takes different path to Celtic team: degrees, late developer and Brendan Rodgers headache
Liam Scales has taken a long time to become an overnight sensation. Loaned out to Aberdeen last season and widely expected to return to Pittodrie this summer, possibly for good, only a defensive injury crisis kept him at Celtic Park by the time the window closed.
By Graeme Macpherson
Published 23rd Sep 2023, 22:30 BST
Comment
Liam Scales has gone from being on the periphery of the Celtic team to playing the Champions League.
Liam Scales has gone from being on the periphery of the Celtic team to playing the Champions League.
The Irishman has made the most of this unexpected opportunity, turning in a number of impressive performances, against Rangers in particular, to significantly improve his chances of staying in the team when the cavalry returns from the treatment room.
Scales featured so infrequently in his maiden season with Celtic after signing from Shamrock Rovers in August 2021 that some supporters could be forgiven for not knowing just what to expect when necessity saw the 25 year-old pitched in for a rare start against St Johnstone at the end of last month. He did not let himself down then or in subsequent outings, the perfect example of someone presented with a chance out of the blue and showing they deserved to be performing on such a platform. It has won him new-found affection from the Celtic support but Scales admits he has taken satisfaction from proving wrong those who doubted him.
“It has definitely been unexpected,” he said. “Because of a few injuries, I’ve got a chance in the team. It’s the first time I’ve had a string of games for Celtic so I’ve taken a lot from it. I’m probably proving a few people wrong who maybe thought I couldn’t play here. The background I’ve come from, my career has taken a different path to a lot of other players that Celtic might sign. My intention is to make the manager’s decisions as difficult as possible. I can only look at the next game. As long as I keep performing I’ll give myself a chance.”
That background he speaks of certainly stands out in a modern game populated almost exclusively at the highest level by clones dragged into a professional academy system before they’ve learned how to tie their shoelaces and moulded a certain way, year after year, until they are declared ready for first-team football – or cast aside on the scrapheap.
Scales’ journey has been more idiosyncratic, the sort of heartwarming tale so beloved by comic books back in the day. Combining his Irish and geography degree at University College Dublin (UCD) with turning out for their first team, the defender won the League of Ireland first division title before crossing the capital to sign for Shamrock Rovers.
Back-to-back Premier League titles and a sprinkling of European experience brought him to Celtic’s attention who paid around £500,000 for his signature and a four-year contract. He is proud at having taken a different route to get there and hopes it may inspire others, their dreams dashed by Brexit red tape, to look at doing likewise.
“I’m definitely a late developer,” he admits. “It didn’t happen for me when I was younger. There were team-mates going to the UK at 15 or 16 but a lot of those boys are back home now playing football because it didn’t work out. I just kept playing for my local team before getting in at UCD and taking it from there. Everyone has a different path and this one has worked for me. I wouldn’t do it any other way.
“My education, going away to university, played a big part in my development as a person and a footballer. I was living as an adult from 18, looking after myself, and the education side gives me something to go into afterwards. It proves that there is more than one way to go about it. A lot of Irish kids can’t come to the UK until they are 18. So you are going to see more late developers coming over after 50 or 100 games in the League of Ireland. That’s great. When I was 16 it was before Brexit and it would have been perfectly fine for me to go away but I wasn’t ready. I went the other path and others will now do the same.”
An ancillary benefit of being in the spotlight with Celtic will surely be the arrival of a much sought after international debut. Scales has been capped by the Irish under-21s and been in several full squads without taking to the field but the man from the village of Barndarrig is now on the cusp of realising that lifelong dream. The Republic take on Greece and then Gibraltar next month in the latest round of Euro 2004 qualifiers and Scales is keeping his fingers crossed.
“I hope (to be involved) – I’ll never be shy about that,” he admits. “As a kid that was the one thing I always wanted, a cap for my country. It would be great to get that and playing for Celtic in the Champions League is bound to help. The competition is very high in my position, they’re all good lads and great players. We’re friendly with each other but this is the best level I could be playing at right now. So that should give me a chance at least.
“I’ve been in five camps so far and been involved in a good few matchday squads. The Gibraltar game is a possibility but I’m not the manager. I haven’t heard from anyone at Ireland but they obviously do their analysis and watch games. I’m sure there will be people watching the high-profile matches in particular.”