Celtic opted to bring Brendan Rodgers back for a second stint at Parkead over the summer to replace Ange Postecoglou in the dugout in Glasgow.
The Northern Irish tactician was afforded the opportunity to bolster his squad with nine new faces throughout the summer transfer window as Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Nat Phillips, Luis Palma, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Marco Tilio, and Hyun-jun Yang were all snapped up.
Despite three central defenders being brought in, Liam Scales, who was on loan with Aberdeen last season, has emerged as a key figure at the back alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.
His current performances for the Hoops suggest that Postecoglou struck gold when he swooped to sign the Irish talent from Shamrock Rovers in 2021.
How much was Liam Scales worth at Shamrock Rovers?
At the time of his move from Ireland, Transfermarkt valued the left-footed defender at €100k (£87k) after spending just over two years with Rovers.
Scales racked up 51 appearances in all competitions and contributed with five goals and seven assists for the Irish side, as a versatile gem who featured at centre-back, left-back, and left-midfield.
His form in his home country convinced Celtic and Postecoglou to swoop for him and, on current form, that has turned out to be a fantastic piece of business.
How much is Liam Scales worth now?
At the time of writing (22/11/2023), Transfermarkt value Scales at €650k (£567k) and this is a staggering 550% increase on the initial €100k that he was valued at in 2021, which shows that the towering ace has progressed considerably over the past two years.
Last season, the 25-year-old battler played 31 Scottish Premiership matches for Aberdeen on loan and caught the eye with an average Sofascore rating of 7.01.
He made 2.9 tackles and interceptions, along with 5.1 clearances, per game to help his side at the back. Although, the Irish defender also made two errors that led to shots for the opposition and conceded three penalties, which suggests that he was liable to make a mistake on occasion.
Scales returned to Celtic over the summer and has risen to prominence under Rodgers. He has started 11 Premiership matches so far this season and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.59.
The left-footed colossus has made 2.6 tackles and interceptions along with 7.2 ball recoveries per outing for the Scottish giants, and is yet to make a single error or give away any penalties, in those 11 games.
He has come out on top in 63% of his duels and this shows that the Hoops titan, who Rodgers lauded as the "perfect example" for players fighting for their place, has been able to dominate opposition players with his physical strength.
Scales has also completed 89% of his attempted passes and averaged 115 touches of the ball per game. This shows that he has been reliable in possession and rarely given the ball away, which helps his side to build up attacks from the back without creating counter opportunities.
Overall, it is clear to see that Postecoglou struck gold with the Irish talent as his market value has skyrocketed over the last two years and he now looks set to be a key player for Rodgers for years to come, if the enforcer can maintain current form.
