LIAM SCALES is in line for a bumper new contract at Celtic.
The Republic of Ireland international centre-back has impressed second time-around gaffer Brendan Rodgers to the extent an offer of a new deal will be on the way.
In the summer, Scales looked poised for a return to Aberdeen for a second successive season-long loan switch, but found his situation turned upside down after the champions were hit by a landslide of injuries in central defence.
RISE AND SHINE…Liam Scales leaps above team-mate Anthony Ralston and the Ross County defenders to pile on the pressure during Celtic’s 3-0 win in Dingwall.
Cameron Carter-Vickers limped out of the action at half-time in the second Premiership game of the season – the 3-1 win at Pittodrie on August 13 – and remained on the sidelines for seven matches before coming on as a late substitute in the 2-1 loss to Lazio at the beginning of October.
Maik Nawrocki, a £4.3million recruit from Legia Warsaw, Gustaf Lagerbielke, a £3million buy from Elfsborg, and Stephen Welsh also suffered a variety of muscular injuries to leave Rodgers struggling for cover.
Scales, whose current deal expires in June 2025, stepped up and has been in at the start of the Hoops’ last 15 successive games to play a pivotal role in the manager’s set-up.
Assessing the player’s contractual situation, Rodgers said: “I think it’s something that I’m sure the club and his representative will look at.
“It doesn’t sit with me so well when players are going down to the final stages of their contracts. I think you only need to look at the fact that I’ve chosen him to play very consistently in games.
“There are also players back now fit who are pushing him, but he’s still performing to a high level. As I said to him, it’s about consistency. Keep showing that you can be consistent and stay focused.
“But there’s no doubt that he’s stepped in and done really well.”
THAT’S MY BHOY…a beaming Brendan Rodgers displays his pleasure after another solid performance from central defender Liam Scales.
Rodgers, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “I needed to see him play. I hadn’t seen a lot of Liam and that’s the honest story on that.
“What he recognised is that getting towards 25, he wants to play. He’d had a season when he’d been playing. When you are at that age you want to be playing games.
“So, when he came back here, I said to him: ‘There are others here who are in front of you, but let’s wait and see’.”
The Irishman added: “He’s a really bright guy. Our conversations were open. Barry Robson was obviously keen to take him back and I can see why as he’s a fantastic player.
“I’d spoken to Barry a few times on it, as well, and kept having to put him off and put him off. And thankfully we did because he’s done great.
“It’s a big credit to the player.”
Scales is now poised to join his team-mates who have settled their immediate futures at the club such as captain Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley, Liel Abada, Anthony Ralston, Welsh and the Japanese trio of Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda.
