Dublin native and Republic of Ireland defender Liam Scales received rave reviews from fans for his performance in Celtic's 2-2 draw against Spanish side Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.
Celtic took the lead twice in the tie. Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma gave the Glasgow side the advantage, but 10-man Atletico managed to equalise through strikes from Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, leaving Celtic with just one point instead of three.
Celtic have now gone 12 games without a home win at this level. However, one standout player was Ireland's Liam Scales, whose performance was a highlight for many in the draw.
Formerly of League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers, Scales signed a four-year contract with Scottish club Celtic in August 2021. Despite having to wait for a starting spot, fans of the Scottish champions now believe that Scales is finally showcasing his abilities in a green and white jersey.
Last summer, the 25-year-old was on the verge of leaving Celtic, having spent the previous season on loan at Aberdeen. Fast forward to 2023, and the Dubliner has made his senior Ireland debut and was one of Celtic's star performers against Diego Simeone's Atletico side.
A user on the social media platform X commented, "Liam Scales' rise to becoming a key Celtic player has been extraordinary. Incredible first half. Kyogo and Riley's understanding is a joy to watch."
During his loan spell at Aberdeen, Scales was part of a side that suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to sixth-tier Scottish side Darvel last January. His transformation has not gone unnoticed, with another social media user admitting he had been wrong about Scales' ability.
"I just want to take a moment to commend Liam Scales on his performances this season, barring St. Johnston; he has been exceptional and assured. It totally proved me and many others wrong. Arguably knocking Welsh and Yuki out of total contention and making it difficult for Maik and Lager," he said. "What a turnaround in Liam Scales' career," read another comment.
Another fantastic performance by Liam Scales, his spot to lose.
Great to see his comeback at the club 💚 pic.twitter.com/T9h0UAe4EZ
— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) October 25, 2023
Former Scottish player James McFadden also praised Celtic's newest hero. The one-time Everton star believes that Scales loan move to Aberdeen has turned him into a completely different player.
Speaking after Celtic's 2-2 draw this week, McFadden said, "I was at the Darvel game; this is not the same guy. This is not the same player. You learn so much more from defeat and adversity than from winning games. When you’re at a low point, that’s when you see the measure of the player,"claimed the Scotsman.
"It would’ve been easy for him to force a move to Aberdeen, thinking, I won't get a chance here; they've signed Nawrocki and Lagerbielke on his way, and they might sign another,"
He also believes that the turn-around in form is all down to Scales.
“He has waited his turn and been rewarded for his patience because his turnaround has been phenomenal, and it's also been down to him added,"McFadden.
Celtic will face Hibernian this Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm.
