Celtic defender Liam Scales has been praised by Martin O’Neill.
The Republic of Ireland international was handed the captain’s armband for the second half of Celtic’s 1-1 draw with Shelbourne after Callum McGregor was given a rest as O’Neill changed the entire side at the interval.
It was another sign of the trust Scales has built up at the club.
That faith was also reflected recently when the 27-year-old signed a new contract, keeping him at Celtic until 2030 after establishing himself as a regular in the heart of the defence.
There is one early setback, though.
Scales will miss Celtic’s opening two Premiership matches after picking up his 12th league booking of last season against Motherwell at Fir Park.
Despite that frustration, O’Neill was in no mood to dwell on it, even if he could not resist a joke at his defender’s expense.
“I think he’s been absolutely fantastic for us.
“From the minute I stepped into the club way back in late October, as well as the second spell I had, he was terrific.
“He’s got himself suspended of course for the first two games of the season I believe, which is not great news.
“So I think we’ll dismiss him now! I’m joking. But he’s been really brilliant for us.” (SunSport)
Scales’ journey at Celtic has not been straightforward.
After arriving from Shamrock Rovers in 2021, a loan spell at Aberdeen proved an important part of his development before he returned to Glasgow and worked his way into the starting XI.
Last season he made 56 appearances across all competitions, underlining his importance as Celtic competed on multiple fronts.
The competition for places is only getting stronger, however.
Cameron Carter-Vickers is back after a lengthy injury lay-off and, when fully fit, remains one of Celtic’s most influential players. That leaves O’Neill with a genuine decision to make over who partners the American in central defence, with Scales and Auston Trusty both looking to stake their claim.
Scales has travelled to Portugal with the rest of the squad as preparations continue for the new season, with Sporting CP next up in Celtic’s pre-season schedule.
The friendly will give O’Neill another opportunity to assess his defensive options before competitive football returns, even if Scales already knows he will have to watch the first two league matches from the sidelines.
