Scottish champions Celtic have moved a step closer toward the title following the recent round of weekend fixtures, with the Parkhead outfit now just one game away from securing their second successive league crown.
Despite having endured a rare slip-up after recording a 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell on Saturday, Ange Postecoglou's side were given an almighty boost following the woes of rivals Rangers a day later, with the Light Blues suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Aberdeen.
That surprise loss at Pittodrie has ensured that the Gers are now 13 points adrift of the rampant Hoops with just five games left to play, with clinching the title now just a matter of when and not if for those at Paradise.
The Bhoys seemingly have one of their own to thank for nudging them to within touching distance of wrapping up the league, with out-on-loan defender Liam Scales having netted a remarkable, long-range effort for the Dons against Michael Beale's men on Sunday.
That freakish – and somewhat fluky effort – will no doubt have endeared the Irishman to his parent club, with it perhaps not out of the question that the former Shamrock Rovers man could go on to play a part for the Old Firm giants next season.
How is Liam Scales getting on at Aberdeen?
Having been restricted to just 13 appearances across all fronts for Celtic last season after signing on a £500k deal in the summer of 2021, Scales was snapped up by Aberdeen prior to the start of the current campaign, subsequently going on to thrive in his temporary home.
Hailed as a "quality player" by former boss Jim Goodwin, the Dublin native has notably kept 11 clean sheets in just 27 Scottish Premiership games this season, scoring once and providing two assists in that time.
The versatile centre-back's defensive prowess has been showcased by the fact that he has averaged 1.7 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in that time, boasting a better record than even the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers (0.5, 1.1) and Carl Starfelt (0.9, 1.3) for those same two metrics, respectively.
Although at 24 it may appear that the £5k-per-week man's chance has already come and gone at Celtic Park, the in-form asset can look to the previous journey of ex-Hoops star Ryan Christie as a source of inspiration, with the Scotland international having also flourished on loan at Aberdeen, before eventually establishing himself in Glasgow.
The current Bournemouth ace was snapped up by the Old Firm giants from Inverness Caledonian Thistle back in 2015, although would spend the first half of the 2015/16 season back on loan at his former employers, before featuring just ten times in the league over the next 12 months.
That lack of action sparked a temporary move to Pittodrie in January 2017, with the gifted playmaker proving his undoubted talent in that 18-month loan spell, bagging 33 goal involvements in just 57 games across all fronts.
Having proved his worth elsewhere, Christie returned to Parkhead at the start of the 2018/19 campaign and went on to firmly establish himself in the side, ultimately racking up 85 goals and assists in just 151 games prior to his £2.5m exit back in 2021.
There may be a potential for Scales to enjoy a similar route and force his way into Postecoglou's thinking next term, with the 6 foot 2 titan – who has been lauded as an "athletic defender" by the Celtic boss – having certainly already made his mark in Scottish football this season.
