It was a major thrill for Liam Scales to get the backing of his rivals to seal a slot in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.
But the defender warned the Celtic backline will need to tighten up if he’s also going to be part of a Double winning side this season. The Irishman is gearing up for an incredible end to a remarkable campaign that has gone from uncertainty he’d be at the club to being one of the first names on Brendan Rodgers’s teams heet.
Scales won over his manager and opposition players with his displays this term, despite having to deal with some doubters among the Hoops support. The PFA accolade is another sign of his rapid rise at Parkhead but the 25-year-old insisted it’s the team prizes that are driving him on. Scales knows Celts are in a strong position in the Premiership with a three point lead over Rangers going into the last five games.
And they have a date with destiny at Hampden again after setting up an Old Firm Final on May 25 following Saturday’s head-spinning shoot-out win against Aberdeen. The centre back is happy to pause for breath – but he insisted this is no time to be reflecting on personal awards.
Scales said: “I am delighted. I feel this has been a bit of a breakthrough year so to get named by other players means a lot to me. I am proud of that. But the focus is on the rest of the season because it’s far from over and there’s so much to play for.
“This is where we want to be, 100 percent. We are in the driving seat but you look at that game against Aberdeen on Saturday. It was mental, and it just shows that anything can happen. We need to be professional and on top of our game for these last five league matches and the Cup Final.”
Scales is well aware Celtic cannot afford too many defensive performances like Hampden though. The Hoops backline was breached early and then conceded not one but TWO last minute levellers in the 3-3 epic that set up the shoot-out.
Celtic have a reputation for scoring late – but this season they’ve also had a tendency to concede at the death as well. Rangers struck in stoppage time to salvage a point at Ibrox a few weeks ago. Killie also pinched a Parkhead point in similar fashion. There is no margin of error in the final five league games and Scales revealed the defensive inquest started in the Hampden dressing room at the weekend.
The Republic of Ireland cap insisted Celts will need to be switched on from here on in. Scales said: “That is dead right. It is a warning. We will look at what we need to do better.
“We already discussed it in the changing room after the game on Saturday. We talked about how we could have improved at the goals.
“Obviously football is a game of small margins, so it’s about little changes that can help you avoid these things. It will be looked at closely because clean sheets are just as important as scoring goals. It’s a big part of what we want to do in the remaining games.”
Note games, plural. Some fans have already got the highlighter out to mark the final Old Firm league showdown on May 11 as a decider. But Scales insisted Celts cannot fall into the same trap.
He said: “One hundred percent. It’s not just about that game. All of these teams are in the top six for a reason. They are the better sides in the league and generally in form.
“Every game is going to be tough. We have a difficult game in Dundee this weekend and we are not looking past that.
“It’s our next game and if we don’t win the two games before we play Rangers it won’t matter what we do in that one. That’s what we are really focused on.”
It helps having a gaffer who looks like he is enjoying the pressure while others are losing their heads. Rodgers looked relieved on Saturday but Scales reckons his boss is a cool customer.
He said: “He is. I think it’s because he is so used to it. This is all second nature to him. He exudes that calmness in this situation and we feel that from him. He trusts in his players and his philosophy.
“That’s why he’s so calm, because he knows if we do what we are good at doing, we can beat any team. He embraces this pressure and at this part of the season that is what it is all about.
“It is pressure and games can be tense and tough. It might not necessarily be quality that wins you matches, it’s about showing up and doing the job.”
It was job done at the weekend – eventually. Joe Hart was in the thick of it after missing a penalty and then saving one but Scales is convinced the keeper has more drama up his sleeve before hanging his gloves at the end of term.
He said: “We were just delighted to come out on top and have a Cup Final to look forward to. It was just a bit overwhelming. It was probably the craziest game I’ve played in.
“We showed good mental strength after going behind early, then going ahead a couple of times and being brought back to penalties. We trusted Joe. Mentally, he is the strongest player as well – in fact he’s the strongest mentally I’ve ever played with.
“There are more big moments to come from him. He’s got six big games left in his career and the chance to win two trophies. I’m sure he’s delighted to be in this situation and fully motivated to go out on a high.”
