Liam Scales is unlikely to bat an eyelid if he’s asked to slot in at left back for Celtic in the next few weeks with Greg Taylor laid up.
Just as long as Brendan Rodgers doesn’t ask the Irishman to play on the wing. Scales has gone from bit part player to one of the first names on the team sheet this season and he could be penciled in for another role against Ross County today. The 25-year-old can easily slide across to the full back position having played there in the past.
And Scales revealed he’s even got experience elsewhere on the pitch – having been a winger who worshiped Irish legend Damien Duff as a kid. The former Aberdeen loan star said: “I wasn’t always a centre half. As a kid I played higher up the pitch in centre midfield or the wing. I wasn’t a bad winger – until I got to about 12 and shot up! I got lanky and lost my pace, so I dropped back.
When I was a kid I would have looked at Damien Duff – who was a left footer on the wing. I wasn’t one for coming inside, it was beat a man and get the ball across.
“But once I took that stretch I had to adapt. I then went to centre mid and eventually left back. I’ve mainly been left back or centre back in the senior game though. I’m quite happy where I am. If I was still a winger I don’t think I’d be at Celtic!”
Scales might not be comfortable on the wing on the more but he’s shown he’s more than comfortable on the ball, with Rodgers always keen on his centre backs stepping into midfield. The defender said: “It depends on who we play against. If teams sit off then the centre backs have a lot of the ball and if I can step into the game it might provoke a press and create some space for a midfielder.
“I do have license to do that. I obviously love defending my box but I also enjoy being on the ball. A lot of the times at Celtic you are high in their half and it’s part of the game I’ve worked on.”
Scales is content in his surroundings now and he’s not getting restless over the new contract talks. He said: “The word I’d use is settled. Last time I was unsure about what would happen but things have gone well and I am really happy here. I can focus on my football.
“I do feel more established now. It took a couple of months to feel like that but I’ve probably played almost 30 games so far this season. It’s been consistent but I know football is a mad game and things can change, so you don’t want to get too comfortable.
“There’s no update contract wise but if there are any updates it’ll be through my agent. I just focus on the football. I’m relaxed. Ive been at other clubs when that stuff has affected my game, so I’ve put it to the back of my head.
“If it happens it happens, that’ the way I look at it.”
Scales is more focused on Celtic getting back to Premiership business today with a bang. Last week’s Scottish Cup stroll against Buckie Thistle was the perfect way to blow off the winter break cobwebs and the defender feels the Hoops have now banished their bumpy spell from before Christmas.
Scales admitted the Parkhead men didn’t look themselves for a while back then, with points spilled again Kilmarnock and Hearts. The play was ponderous but Celts got a spark and came out on top in the Old Firm festive clash and there’s a sense there is more to come.
Scales said: “It was just getting back into the swing of things. We needed to win the game and we did that, and it was a good, professional performance.
“We stuck to our principles and you could see that with the goals we scored. We’ve had a good week in training and are looking forward to getting back to the league.
“I think we fell away from it for a few weeks and had a couple of poor results. But since we realised we needed to get the speed back into our game it’s been really good.
“I think we got a little bit away from our structure but we got back to it and ever since it’s been a lot faster. The break was there to refresh and it’s been really good since we got back in. We’ve had a mini-season to get back into the groove.
“We are ready to kick on now. Obviously there were a couple of negatives in the first half of the season, like not winning the League Cup and maybe we could have got more results in Europe, where our home performances were god but we struggled a bit away.
“We looked at all of that and realised there’s room to improve in the second half of the season. Setting challenges is a big part of what the manager does and he’s very good at it. As players we need to take it on board and really improve. Obviously we want to win the league and the cup.
“It’s more about doing the right things every week and that will eventually win us trophies.”
GET MORE NEWS HERE