Liam Scales looks set to retain his starting place in Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic XI for Sunday’s Glasgow derby and the Irish defender is taking a unique approach to keeping his head amid the pressure.
Having wrestled the left centre-back role back from Auston Trusty in recent weeks, Scales has re-established himself as a reliable presence in Celtic’s backline.
Now, as he prepares for another intense battle at Ibrox, he’s relying on something far from the noise and chaos of derby day: fishing.
The 25-year-old has become a regular starter under Rodgers last season, continuing this season, and his composed displays have been one of the more understated success stories of recent years. But when it comes to switching off, Scales has found peace in Scotland’s rivers.
He said: “In general, before this game, you just have to forget about the outside noise and prepare like you do for every match,” Scales explained to RecordSport.
“Fishing is good for keeping your mind clear and getting away from football. I get away from everything down by the river, either alone or with someone, just casting away.
“Scotland is good for fly fishing. There are brilliant rivers everywhere. I was out fishing on Thursday. I caught a little brown trout. I am getting better, I think. I’m certainly better than I was last year.”
Celtic head to Ibrox as champions, but they know Sunday won’t be short of tension. For Scales, staying focused and keeping a clear head is key—and for that, there’s nothing better than a quiet day by the water.
The Glasgow Derby encounters have been high scoring in recent times, with Celtic conceding three goals in each of the last three meetings. They’ll be looking to stop that today and Liam Scales will likely be part of that backline.
