BRENDAN Rodgers will weigh up whether to keep Liam Scales at Celtic or send him out on loan during the remaining weeks of the transfer window – but admitted he has been impressed with the defender’s attitude and ability since returning to Parkhead.
Scales joined the Glasgow club from Shamrock Rovers in his homeland in a £600,000 transfer two years ago and featured sporadically under former manager Ange Postecoglou during his debut season
However, the versatile player went out on loan to Aberdeen, who the treble winners play in their second cinch Premiership match of the 2023/24 campaign at Pittodrie this afternoon, last term and helped them to finish third in the top flight table.
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The Republic of Ireland internationalist, who played at both centre half and full back for Aberdeen, was not in the squad for Celtic’s league opener against Ross County last weekend.
Rodgers, who lost Carl Starfelt to Celta Vigo in Spain earlier this week, is hoping to bring in more players before the transfer window closes on Friday, September 1, and is going to take his time before making a decision on Scales’ future.
“Liam has trained really well in pre-season,” he said. “By the end of the window we’ll be a position where we’ll know where are with the squad. I know where we need to strengthen.
“I’d seen hardly anything of him, so I wanted to take the chance to see him and also see where we’re going to be as a squad. It’s all about time, going out to play on loan. There’s obviously benefits to staying here and working with an intense group. But ultimately it’s about game time as well for players.
“Liam turned 25 the other day and he’ll have the mind-set at that age of wanting to play. At 17 or 18 it’s about learning your trade. He’s come over late into the game and will want to play. But his attitude has been first class. I really like him as a guy and he has qualities as a player. We’ll assess where it’s at over the coming weeks.”
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Meanwhile, Rodgers has admitted that Celtic will have to be wary of their former player Jonny Hayes when they take on Aberdeen this afternoon and expressed his admiration for the 36-year-old’s remarkable longevity in the game.
“Jonny is a great guy, a really bright man,” he said. “I’ve known him since he was 15 years of age, taking him to Reading. Probably when he was younger he didn’t maximise his career as it related to his talent. But later in life he found that stability and life settled him down.
“He did great at Inverness and Aberdeen, then we took him here. He was a really important member of my squad here—apart from trying to muck up my first Treble (Hayes scored for Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic in 2017)!
“He was a good guy. Players and staff loved him because of his honesty and did really well for us. But he loves his life up north with Aberdeen. He clearly looks after himself. When I see him he’s still got the power in his legs and has a fantastic left foot, so Jonny obviously looks after his body. I’m happy for him.”
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