IN JANUARY he was outclassed by Darvel’s Marvels.
By October he was shackling World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata.
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And the turnaround in Liam Scales is all down to his own hard work, says James McFadden.
The Irishman was hailed for his Champions League heroics as Celtic picked up their first point of the campaign against Atletico Madrid.
Linking up with Cameron Carter-Vickers was a far cry from the lowest point in Aberdeen’s storied history earlier this year – but it’s a partnership that has to stay according to Scotland hero Faddy.
The Irishman has done enough to keep multi-million pound signings Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke out of Brendan Rodgers’ side after his slow ascent through the ranks and his much more modest move from Shamrock Rovers.
He’s also been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad.
And it’s all thanks to his loan move to the Dons.
McFadden said: “I thought he was magnificent. He was confident assured and looked like he belonged there.
“I remember it was Lagerbielke and Scales for the Rangers game and a lot of people said that couldn’t be the pairing for the UCL – but wow, he hasn’t put a foot wrong.
“Scales and Cameron Carter-Vickers is the centre-back pairing from now until the end of the season.”
McFadden was one of many BBC Sportsound pundits amazed by Scales’ turnaround since the humiliating defeat at Recreation Park in Ayrshire – and then being sent off in a 6-0 drubbing by Hibs days later.
It cost Jim Goodwin his job but was the making of Scales, the ex-Everton forward believes.
He added: “I was at the Darvel game – this is not the same guy. This is not the same player.
“You learn so much in defeat and adversity than winning games.
“When you’re at a low point that’s when you see the measure of the player.
“It would’ve been easy for him to force a move to Aberdeen thinking ‘I won’t get a chance here, they’ve signed Nawrocki and Lagerbielke’s on his way and they might sign another’.
“He has waited his turn and been rewarded for his patience because turnaround has been phenomenal and it’s also been down to him.
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“He’s gone out and learned, he’s had to work hard to get his big move to Celtic from Irish football, it would’ve been easy for him to stay and learn under the manager but he went out to Aberdeen on loan and he had some good performances after the turn of the year and some horrendous lows, but he dealt with it.
“You learn more at those points than winning games.”
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