Celtic have opened talks with Liam Scales over a new extended contract.
The defender signed a four year deal when he arrived from Shamrock Rovers in August 2021 to no great fanfare.
Josip Juranovic arrived at roughly the same time before the signings of Giorgos Giakoumakis, Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers on deadline day transformed the squad as Ange Postecoglou got down to work.
Used mainly as a left back, Scales started in eight matches but never featured again following the Europa Conference League exit away to Bodo Glimt.
When Jim Goodwin took him to Aberdeen on loan in June 2022 there didn’t seem much prospect of a future at Celtic with the switch to Pittodrie an opportunity to get playing time and find his feet in Scotland.
Being part of the side that lost to Darvel in the Scottish Cup was a low but playing on the left of a back three he scored a spectacular goal against Allan McGregor as the Dons under Barry Robson charged into third place and guaranteed European group football soon after that dark night in Ayrshire.
Scales was expected to return to Aberdeen before the summer window closed but a strange run of injuries at Celtic saw him paired with Gus Lagerbielke in the final match before the transfer window closed, after helping towards a clean sheet at Ibrox on September 3 he has been an ever present in the Celtic side.
With less than eighteen months left on his contract Celtic have recognised the Irishman’s status at the club with the Daily Record reporting:
Celtic have pushed the button on their bid bid to extend Liam Scales’ contract.
The Hoops have now opened discussions with the Republic of Ireland international, who is out of contract in the summer of 2025.
Brendan Rodgers is looking to extend that agreement having been impressed with his fellow Irishman who has gone from the fringes to become a key man for Rodgers’ side this season.
The manager said last month that contract talks had begun but Scales contradicted that a couple of weeks later by saying there had been nothing really in terms of discussions.
Celtic have now come to the table and want to sort out the 25-year-old’s long-term future. The Scottish champions signed him from Shamrock Rovers in 2021, and he had a successful loan at Aberdeen last season before a defensive crisis this season opened the door for him to get his big break at Celtic.
He has also broken into the Republic of Ireland set-up and become one of Celtic’s first-choice defenders.
Having kept Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki out of the Celtic side Scales will be looking for at least their terms on a new contract.
At the age of 25 and turning 26 at the start of next season his next contract will look very different to the one he signed when he moved from the League of Ireland two and a half years ago.
Having sampled six Champions League ties this season and made his full international debut a new contract would be a fitting reward as the Irishman looks to play a key role in delivering two trophies before he gets a well deserved summer break.
CLICK HERE for Scales appearances in season 21/22
CLICK HERE for Strachan names the player Rodgers can’t do without.
