Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
‘Stole the jersey’: Simon Donnelly says ‘outstanding’ Celtic player is now a first-team regular
What I love about football is its ability to create a Cinderella story. You know what I mean. That one piece of romantic history that the supporters love.
Two seasons ago the Celtic fans witnessed it with Anthony Ralston. The Hoops defender’s career at Paradise looked finished until the arrival of Ange Postecoglou.
Ralston himself will admit that his fortune was off the back of the club needing to rebuild and lack of numbers in defence. But Ralston took full advantage and the rest, as they say, is history.
The same can be said for Liam Scales. The versatile defender looked like he was on his way to Aberdeen this summer until a defensive injury crisis took hold. And, my goodness, hasn’t he just shone?
So much so, that former Celtic hero, Simon Donnelly, believes that he is now a first-team pick for Brendan Rodgers.
Donnelly said [], “[Liam] Scales has stamped his authority on that position just now. He’s really stole the jersey from a few guys who have come in and maybe had an eye on it. So it’s for the other players to kind of shift him.”
Liam Scales has been incredible for Celtic this season
Not too long ago, TBR Celtic wrote a stat piece on Scales to show just how important he has been for Celtic this season.
The piece just shows you how much Scales has taken a difficult situation at Celtic and turned it to his advantage.
But, it would be a massive discredit to Scales to simply suggest that it’s only because of the injury crisis that he continues to be picked for Celtic.
Gustaf Lagerbielke, Nat Phillips and Yuki Kobayashi are both available for Brendan Rodgers to pick. But it is absolutely clear that the Celtic manager completely trusts the Irish defender to carry on in his central defensive role for the club.
Donnelly is correct, Scales has the jersey and it his to keep. It is up to the other players at Celtic to prove they are worthy of being selected ahead of the ‘outstanding’ 25-year-old.
Unfortunately for them, I just can’t see Scales being in any hurry to let it go. And long may that continue.
In other news, ‘Best player on the pitch’: BBC pundit raves about ‘absolutely incredible’ Celtic man vs Kilmarnock