Celtic reward Liam Scales with new four year deal | OneFootball

Celtic defender Liam Scales has today put pen to paper on a new four year contract extension, and it’s a fitting reward for a player who has established himself in the Celtic first team this season ahead of some big money summer signings.

There was a position to be filled with Carl Starfelt’s move to La Liga side Celta Vigo and Celtic went into the transfer market to sign both Maik Nawrocki from Legia Warsaw and Gustaf Lagerbielke for Swedish side IF Elfsborg.

20th August 2023; Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland: Scottish Viaplay Cup Football, Kilmarnock versus Celtic; Liam Scales of Celtic, Gustaf Lagerbielke of Celtic and Maik Nawrocki of Celtic

Liam Scales, who had been on loan Aberdeen the previous season, was being pursued by then Dons manager Barry Robson who had several conversations with Brendan Rodgers about signing the Irish defender who looked to be surplus to requirements at Celtic Park.

But as an experienced manager, Brendan Rodgers wanted to wait and summer before the transfer window closed, that proved to be a wise decision with injuries to both Nawrocki and Cameron Carter-Vickers pushing Scales into contention alongside the likes of Lagerbielke and Stephen Welsh.

IMAGO / ShutterstockPhoto by Kirk O Rourke/Shutterstock – Liam Scales of Celtic during the Scottish Premiership match at Ibrox on 03 Sep 2023

Celtic also brought in Nat Phillips on a short-term loan from Liverpool to help shore things up at the back after the pencilled in first pick pairing sat in the treatment room at Lennoxtown.

Scales in particular seized his opportunity and helped Celtic keep a clean sheet at Ibrox with a man-of-the-match performance in Celtic’s 1-0 with at the beginning of September.

Scales has not been without his critics, most notably after Celtic’s recent penalty kicks win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final after a 3-3 draw with Scales partially culpable for two of the Aberdeen goals.

29th July 2023 Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland: Pre Season Football Friendly, Celtic versus Wolverhampton Wanderers Liam Scales on the ball for Celtic – Photo ActionPlus Ashley Cahill

However he has stood up to the challenge better than anyone else and was competent in the Champions League, also establishing himself as a first pick international defender for Ireland.

The new contract extension will see Liam Scales remain at the club until 2028. Scales has made 40 appearances to date across all competitions this season for Celtic, scoring one goal against Livingston.

The 25-year-old joined Celtic back in August 2021 from Shamrock Rovers for a fee of £500,000 and made his debut in a League Cup tie at home to Raith Rovers the following month.

IMAGO / ShutterstockPhoto by Kirk O Rourke/Shutterstock Liam Scales of Celtic clears from Cyriel Dessers of theRangers during the Scottish Premiership match at Ibrox on 03 Sep 2023

Speaking to the official Celtic FC website Liam Scales was clearly delighted to put pen to paper for the team he supports and is proud to play for.

“I am delighted to agree this new contract and commit my future to Celtic,” the big Irishman said. “I have really enjoyed working under the gaffer, and with such a great group of players this year and I look forward to doing so again in the coming seasons.

Aberdeen v Celtic – Scottish Cup – Semi Final – Bojan Miovski and Liam Scales battle for the ball during the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final match at Hampden on Saturday April 20, 2024. Andrew Milligan

“I love being part of this great club and I want to do all I can to contribute to Celtic and bring our fans as much success as we can.”

Well done to the Bhoy and no-one can credibly argue that this is not a fitting reward for his outstanding season that earned him a place on the PFA Scotland Team of the Year as voted by his fellow pros.

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