“I haven’t made much progress,” HOOPS HERO INSISTS

“I haven’t made much progress,” HOOPS HERO INSISTS

Following Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Feyenoord in the midweek, Liam Scales,

who participated in all six of the team’s Champions League games this season, was named Man of the Match.

But the 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international said,

“I haven’t achieved much here,” adding that he still has a lot to prove to his childhood heroes.

In the summer, Scales’s career at Parkhead seemed to be coming to an end as it looked like

he would be joining Aberdeen on a second season-long loan.

As Brendan Rodgers attempted to reassemble his centre defence, injuries to Stephen Welsh,

Cameron Carter-Vickers, and summer addition Maik Nawrocki brought the Dubliner into sharp relief.

In the victory over Glasgow in the derby at Ibrox, Scales stepped up and demonstrated his ability as a more than capable deputy.

Kyogo Furuhashi’s volley for the game’s lone goal on a tense afternoon in a toxic atmosphere further reinforced this point.

Before the transfer window closed on September 1,

the centre back discussed the potential of returning to Pittodrie, saying,

“I didn’t know where I was going to be and what I was going to be doing.”

“I never anticipated this.

I’m thrilled with how everything turned out. I had some luck when it came to injuries.

I wouldn’t characterise it as a turnaround because I don’t believe I was headed in the wrong way to begin with.

But now it’s really started.

I’ve always thought I could perform well here if I had regular playing opportunities.

It all came down to securing that opportunity.

It was going to be hard with the calibre of the group.

It’s been fantastic how things have gone since I entered.

All I have to do is maintain my hunger and play the way I have been playing.

“We wish to take home awards. Here, I haven’t accomplished much.

“We won the Premiership and the League Cup in my first season here,

but I wasn’t in many of the games.

I lost out on a great season last year due to my loan out.

I’d like to possess that for myself.

In reflection on the victory over the Dutch, Scales stated,

“It was the peak of my campaign,

but I wouldn’t say it’s my peak in general.”

Scales will most likely start tomorrow against Hearts at Parkhead in his normal position on the left side of the champions’ center-back duo.

“Look, I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing and not get complacent.”

“We’ve had difficult phases throughout the six games,

and we’ve played with nine and ten men at times.

I’ve got to kind of hunker down and develop my coping mechanisms at this point.

For me, Wednesday seemed to be the pinnacle of it.

Though getting that in the locker is a great personal accomplishment,

I’m just happy I could support the squad.

I simply have to continue eating. I know it sounds corny,

but all I need to watch out for is not becoming comfortable and playing as many games as possible.

In an interview with the Daily Record,

Scales praised matchwinner Gustaf Lagerbielke and his fellow comeback player Stephen Welsh,

who was playing for the first time in four months.

He also said, “The depth of the squad is amazing.”

For the first 75 minutes after he entered, Welshy was outstanding.

“Obviously, he hasn’t played football much; he recently recovered from an injury. For him,

finishing 75 minutes at that level of intensity was a significant accomplishment.

He was really sophisticated.

“After that, Gus enters and declares the winner.

I’m happy that he came on and got the winner because he had to be patient to receive minutes.

Nobody could have deserved it more, in my opinion.

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