Liam Scales targets Celtic glory and longevity! | Old Firm Derby Preview

0:00 We have a special guest, friend of the show, Liam Scales, 27-year-old defender.

0:05 He's been a a rock in the back for Celtic this season.

0:09 Welcome to the show, Liam.

0:11 It's great to see you.

0:13 Thanks, guys.

0:13 Good to be back.

0:15 Thanks for joining us.

0:15 So, you you you a big congratulations is in order for you.

0:19 You just extended your contract with Celtic a few weeks ago.

0:22 Why is Celtic the right club for you?

0:26 Um look, I I love it here, you know?

0:28 I love living in Scotland and it's it's not too different from Ireland

0:32 and then we have that connection as well in Ireland with the club.

0:34 So, you know, I'd rather be here than anywhere else and you know,

0:38 I was really happy to sign that extension.

0:41 Now, Liam, the Old Firm Firm Derby is always a massive match.

0:45 The world's always watching,

0:46 but it's even higher implications now with how tight the league is.

0:49 What's the mood going into this match this weekend in the locker room?

0:54 Um look, [clears throat] it's it's similar to how it usually is.

0:57 It's it's a big game every time we play it.

0:59 I know there's probably a little bit more

1:00 on the line now than there's sometimes is,

1:02 but we're preparing the exact same way.

1:05 You know, we've hit a good run of form the last five games,

1:07 so we're just looking to continue with how

1:09 we've been playing and yeah, take it from there.

1:12 But, you know, we're we're we're looking forward to it.

1:14 We're preparing and and we can't wait really for Sunday.

1:17 Liam, I'm I'm so curious because you only

1:20 have one loss in your your last 11 matches.

1:24 Uh five straight wins coming into this Old Firm Old Firm Derby.

1:27 What is clicking now?

1:31 Um I just think I think it's that stage

1:33 of the season where we know we really need to be

1:36 at the top of our game and I think that's really

1:39 pushed us to to be better and I think um you know,

1:43 we we I feel like we have a better energy about us.

1:45 I think we're not playing as many midweek games and that might

1:48 be helping us a bit as well because, you know,

1:51 you have players that that they're coming back into their like

1:53 the their best form because of energy levels and um no,

1:58 I think I think we're in a good place so

2:01 Now Liam you've only got three matches towards the end of the season.

2:04 You can almost look at it as three finals and you

2:07 face Hearts on the very very last match of the

2:10 Yeah what are by the way then a Scottish Cup final

2:13 Right and then it's an actual final

2:17 [laughter] Talk to me about how how as a team

2:18 you guys are preparing for each one of these matches.

2:21 You can't really look forward but you know that each one

2:23 of these matches you have coming up is is incredibly important.

2:28 Yeah no you're right it's like four cup finals but we have to take them

2:32 one at a time you know you because you know we need to just make sure

2:36 we're not looking past the next game so we can we can focus and prepare

2:42 properly for each game individually but yeah we're

2:45 not looking past them Rangers now this weekend.

2:48 But I'm sure when the time comes that we'll have to prepare the exact

2:51 same way for the for the other three games so um It's it's a it's

2:55 a good place to be it's where you want to be you want

2:57 to be playing these these massive games and it's going to be a real test.

3:01 Liam take me into the locker room because you know

3:04 me being a former professional this doesn't always happen where

3:08 you have a change of of coaches a change of managers

3:11 you go from Martin O'Neill to then a Wilfried Nancy

3:16 and things get kind of get unraveled undone if

3:20 you if you will back to Martin O'Neill but here

3:23 at the end of the season now you have a chance

3:25 to end up winning the Premier Premiership and the Scottish Cup.

3:30 What what was the emotions what were the emotions going

3:34 throughout this season and and how did you manage it?

3:36 What were those conversations like throughout this period?

3:42 Look at the yeah it's been it's been a mad

3:44 year for us you know the changes and it's it's

3:47 been difficult at times because of those managerial changes

3:51 and you know there was big changes on and on so,

3:54 you know, the how we played and and I suppose them

3:58 to go back to to to playing under my and again,

4:01 it's just been it's it probably won't happen again.

4:05 Probably has never happened before.

4:06 So, if we can go and and win a double under those conditions, you know,

4:11 I think it shows really like great character

4:13 from the from the team and and and everyone

4:15 involved with the club and I think it will feel that extra bit special as well.

4:22 So, you know, we just need to make sure we we do our jobs

4:25 now for the last four games and and give ourselves a chance to do that.

4:28 So, it was never the lack of quality

4:31 in terms of the players that Celtic had, right?

4:33 Because that was a I guess some

4:35 of the conversation was the players aren't good enough.

4:38 The coach can't do anything else.

4:40 Brendan Rodgers didn't get enough for, you know,

4:43 investment to to reinvest in the squad,

4:46 but you guys credit to you guys of showing everyone oh,

4:50 we've had the quality all along.

4:51 We just we just need the right voice.

4:55 And yeah, I think I think the quality's been there.

4:58 I think maybe we we struggled a little bit with confidence at times, you know,

5:02 I think maybe we weren't fully confident in in what

5:05 we were doing and that and that maybe lost us a few games where maybe we

5:11 should have won because we just weren't confident,

5:12 but the quality's always been there and I think um I think that's

5:16 always going to be the case at a club like this, you know.

5:19 Now, Liam, right now Celtic are in a place

5:21 that this club is unfamiliar with, not top of the table.

5:25 Tell me about the support from the supporters

5:28 throughout this season even when times were going rough.

5:30 How have they been behind you guys this season?

5:35 Yeah, they've they've been brilliant, you know,

5:36 we um obviously we want to win for our fans and when

5:40 we're not doing that, it's it's tough and there's high expectation here.

5:44 There's probably higher expectation here than than most

5:46 most big clubs in the world, you know,

5:48 the the way the standards that the club have set and the players

5:51 have set over the last number [snorts] of years of winning winning trebles,

5:56 winning consecutive trebles, you know.

5:58 Um the standards are really high, so the fans expect us to win every week,

6:03 but you know, they're they're right behind us,

6:05 you know, that we we can feel that as well.

6:07 There's been a really good buzz around the stadium

6:09 the last few weeks and we just hope that continues.

6:12 Liam, I'm so curious for you know, the the Americans here.

6:16 I I got to play with Auston Trusty in his first year as a professional

6:19 and to see him now thriving alongside you

6:22 in that Celtic backline it has been incredible.

6:25 Talk to me about how what you've seen from him.

6:28 How has he progressed and what should US fans look

6:32 towards the Celtic side when they watch Auston Trusty play?

6:37 Uh look, he's been brilliant.

6:38 I've enjoyed playing playing with him this season, you know,

6:41 we've played a lot of games together and um you know,

6:44 he's he's covered me when I've needed him

6:46 and and um I've covered him when when he's needed me,

6:50 so we've got that relationship now.

6:52 You know, I think for American fans, you know,

6:53 with the World Cup coming up and you know, he's a physical, strong player.

6:57 He's he's good on the ball and he's he's um he's extremely quick and and strong,

7:02 so I think they're probably his best attributes, but uh no,

7:05 it's really it's enjoyable playing alongside

7:07 him and two of us being left-footed,

7:09 he's been playing on his right side a lot and I think for a player

7:12 to be able to do that shows another like big quality playing on his wrong side,

7:16 but but playing well on that side as well.

7:19 What what's his what's his attributes like in the locker room?

7:22 Because I remember him not being too good of a dancer, so [laughter]

7:26 what what what Give me some good stories in the locker room.

7:28 Does it Has his banter improved?

7:30 You know, where where is Auston Trusty in the locker room?

7:35 [laughter] Uh he's always involved, you know,

7:37 he's different he came up in a different culture,

7:39 so I think his his banter is not the same as maybe the Scottish guys,

7:43 but he's getting there, you know.

7:44 I think he's learning.

7:45 But [laughter] I've yet to see him dance, so I'll have to go ask him that.

7:49 Um maybe if we if we win win on the weekend,

7:52 we'll see if he'll do a dance for us.

7:53 Liam, you're you're leading the center of the the line.

7:55 You're leading the the back line.

7:57 You've got Kieran Tierney to your left.

7:58 You've got a a lefty to your right in Auston Trusty.

8:00 I want to know what's the language being communicated.

8:02 Are you speaking any Irish Gaelic back there?

8:04 Have you Have you gotten the boys onto the language?

8:06 Are you teaching them?

8:08 No, but I I thought that would be a good

8:10 idea cuz no one else would understand um what we're saying,

8:13 so I might have to get you a teach him a few words.

8:16 But uh no, I don't think um sometimes it's even hard to understand KT's accent.

8:21 He's got So, I think we'll we'll stick to English for now,

8:25 but maybe maybe if we play together another couple of years,

8:28 I'll start teaching them.

8:29 Love that.

8:30 So, you got you got the big game Sunday.

8:33 What can we expect from you in particular?

8:35 How are you going into this match against Rangers?

8:37 You know, last one was nil-nil.

8:39 You won on penalty penalty kicks in the Scottish Cup.

8:42 Uh what what are you expecting from Rangers uh in this in this particular match?

8:49 Um we're expecting them to be top of their game, you know.

8:52 They're they're good side and and they they've um caused us problems this year.

8:59 Um yeah, we're expecting to be top of their game.

9:00 I think for me personally,

9:03 I just need to approach it as as I have been all season and um yeah,

9:08 we'll take it from there.

9:09 But we know what's at stake.

9:10 They know what's at stake.

9:11 And I think for that reason,

9:13 it's it's going to be um it's going to be a a good game.

9:16 Now, you talk about top of the game.

9:17 Liam, you're 27 years old.

9:19 You're on the at the top of your game in the center of this Celtic's defense.

9:23 You just signed a new contract.

9:24 Tell me what it is that it felt like this is

9:26 the right place for you to be right in your prime.

9:31 Yeah, that's it.

9:31 Um these these next 4 years I'm hoping they're going to be my best,

9:35 you know, so why not be somewhere where you already feel at home,

9:40 you already feel happy,

9:41 have a real strong connection with the club and and fans and you know,

9:46 it's made the choice easy for me.

9:49 I've actually seen people leave in the past thinking, you know,

9:53 the grass is greener but all kind of ended up

9:55 regretting leaving a club of this size and this stature.

9:57 So, yeah, it we're lucky to play for such a big club and you know,

10:02 to represent such a big fan base as well.

10:06 So, it was an easy decision for me.

10:08 You know, it might be different for other people but you know,

10:11 I just felt like it was the right right choice at the right time

10:13 and hopefully now that Celtic get my best years out of me and and then yeah,

10:18 we can see what happens after.

10:20 Liam, I I can certainly say you're in a fantastic place.

10:23 I've always had an admiration for Celtic Football Club ever since

10:26 Henrik Larsson graced the those pitches and scoring goals for fun.

10:30 So, all I can say from from your family here at CBS Sports,

10:35 we wish you all the best.

10:37 Thanks for joining us.

10:38 Top conversation.

10:40 Thanks, guys.

10:41 Appreciate it.

10:41 Cheers.

10:42 Best of luck this weekend, brother.