Scales thriving under the weight of derby pressure
BY the time the teams emerge from the tunnel on Saturday, the noise spewing out of Celtic Park may well be audible in a different solar system. Three points ahead of Rangers, a victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side would see them rest nine digits on the Premiership trophy. While a share of the spoils would still be a favourable outcome for the champions, an away win would see the momentum shift across town with just two games remaining. For those directly involved, the pressure of the week could easily consume them. Liam Scales is not a man to deny the reality of the situation, but nor does he fear that Celtic will wilt under the most intense scrutiny. In Rodgers, a man who’s lost just one of his 16 derbies in Glasgow, the defender sees a manager who’ll ensure his players are ready but not overwrought come kick-off. ‘He’s great. He instils a belief in all of us,’ said the Irishman. ‘You might feel under pressure, but he takes it away and shows why we are here and makes us believe in ourselves. ‘That’s a really good trait and it helps us a lot. ‘I feel like I’m all right under pressure. I think most people are at this level. ‘It would be hard to get to a certain level if you struggled under pressure. We have a squad full of players with a good mentality. We are all together and there are no bad eggs. Everyone is working to the same goal.’ The first derby of Rodgers’ second spell in charge was the trigger for the events which led to Scales signing a new four-year contract last week. Selected only because of an injury crisis, the Irishman delivered a flawless display to belatedly signal his arrival as a Celtic player. He never looked back. ‘It was a big chance for me to prove a point and prove I could handle it,’ he added. ‘The fact I was thrown in was a good thing. I didn’t have time to think about it. It was just about dealing with it and I came out in a good place. ‘It definitely gave me a belief and a hunger for more games like that, because it was an unbelievable experience.’ Scales appreciates how differently his career might have mapped out if he’d melted in the cauldron. ‘Yeah, 100 per cent,’ he said. ‘I knew there was no hiding place. It was almost a turning point as it proved to people I was able to cope. ‘I believed I could go in and do well. I’ve always had that selfbelief.’