Liam Scales' Celtic rise has defender in World top 60 list as former Parkhead star dominates the air

Liam Scales 's Celtic career looked down and out in the summer. But since then, the only way has been up since rising to the challenge after an injury crisis saw him launched into the first team picture.

The Irishman hasn't looked back and is now one of the first picks for Brendan Rodgers in defence. He's out of contract at the end of next season and hopes the Hoops will deal him in. Given his form this season, it would come as a major shock if he was allowed to depart for nothing.

His displays have now put him in some esteemed company after making the world's top 60 for aerial play. research carried out by the CIES Football Observatory has Scales in an impressive group, after collecting data on centre backs from across the globe. They have ranked the number and percentage of aerial duels won, in relation to playing time, frequency of the duels their team competes in and the level of matches played in, players are given an overall index to determine their rank worldwide.

Scales comes in at a more than respectable 60th with an index score of 81.4, and is the only SPFL representative. That puts him ahead of Manchester City's Nathan Ake, Chelsea's Axel Disasi and Dayot Upamecano of Bayern Munich.

Former Parkhead hero Virgil van Dijk leads the way in aerial dominance, just ahead of Bayern's Min-jae Kim and Danilo Pereira of PSG. Newcastle's Jamal Lascelles is a surprise No 4.

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