In an unexpected yet welcome Glasgow Derby twist, Celtic centre-back Liam Scales stood out and won the game’s Man of the Match Award. His contributions to the 1-0 win were significant and went a long way in securing victory.
Scales only started the match due to injuries to centre-half trio Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki, and Stephen Welsh. He grasped his opportunity in the lineup with both hands, though.
After the game, the 25-year-old spoke to the media and said he is taking things slowly but does want to give his manager Brendan Rodgers a few dilemmas at the heart of defence. He said (Daily Record): “Look, all I can do is do my best. I need to make it difficult for the manager and just put in good performances. And if I can keep clean sheets in every game I play, put in good performances, defend well and be good on the ball, then I will give him a headache at least. That’s all I am looking at now. It’s just taking it game by game, doing as well as I can just to make him have a decision to make.”
One imagines Scales will not be dropped for Celtic’s clash with Dundee after the international break, no matter who is available. The Irishman has earned his place in the team and now, it is up to him to keep it.
The defender has a colossal opportunity to keep playing for the champions and if his performances continually match the level of the weekend’s, things will only bode well.
