Brendan Rodgers offers simple Celtic choice and the answer is always the same for one dedicated disciple
Celtic fans might be getting in a flap over the lack of clarity surrounding Brendan Rodgers ' direction of travel next summer.
But Liam Scales insists the manager's crystal clear messages have been the catalyst in his own journey from the fringes to becoming a central figure for club and country.
And for that reason the Irishman couldn't be any clearer himself when he says he would love Rodgers to extend his stay in the east end of Glasgow beyond the end of the season.
Rodgers sat down with majority shareholder Dermot Desmond this summer to discuss his own future but has given little away over what that might mean come next June.
Scales admits he owes the manager big time for the distance he's travelled over the last two years having been sent on loan to this afternoon's opponents Aberdeen in Ange Postecoglou's last season in charge.
The defender made 39 appearances for Celtic in the last campaign, won a double and took his cap count to 14, all of which have been won in the last two years.
It's no wonder he is desperate for Rodgers to remain in charge long term.
He said: 'Definitely, I really enjoy playing for him so the longer I can do that the better. He's a brilliant manager, I've learned a lot from him.
'It's been a really good two past seasons for me so I'm just hoping to continue that and keep playing for him and keep doing the jobs that he asked me to do.
'It's been probably the best couple of years of my career so I'm just hoping it continues the way it has.
'For me the message is always clear with the manager. You can't question anything, it's always clear, it's always straight to the point.
'For me I've found that it's either a choice of following his instructions or not and I've been better off doing what he's said and doing what's been asked of me.
'That's helped me a lot because, as a player, it makes it simple if you know your job, you know your role exactly how the manager wants it to be.
'I think his communication has been brilliant to get his point across, that has helped me improve as a player and I think playing games under him I've become more comfortable in that sense so I think that would be a massive strength of his.'
Celtic face Aberdeen this afternoon for the first time since the Dons wrecked the Treble hopes with a sensational Scottish Cup Final triumph at Hampden back in May.
Scales admits the pain of that afternoon dug deep. The sight of Callum McGregor in tears after missing a spot kick in the shoot out spoke volumes for the desire to succeed in Rodgers' squad.
And Scales said: 'Everyone felt the pain of that and that's just Callum's desire to win - I think that's what drives us every season.
'It happens in football, you can't win every game, you can't win every trophy.
'We obviously all were disappointed. But I think at this club you don't need any more motivation than what we already get week in and week out from the staff to the players.
'There's a massive drive to win and it comes from the fans as well.
'I don't think we needed any more motivation, it was just a sore one.
'I think I speak for everyone saying it hurt. But we've had time to get over it in the summer and it's a new season now.
'We're just excited to do all we can to win as much as we can this year and that's in the past now.'
Celtic haven't lost at Pittodrie since February 2016 and incredibly are unbeaten against the Dons over 90 minutes in 32 clashes.
But Scales insists the memory of Hampden is all the evidence they need to take nothing for granted - especially after leaving it late to squeeze past St Mirren in last weekend's Premiership opener.
He said: 'One hundred per cent. Aberdeen are a good side. They played well that day, they defended well and it was an even game.
'It's never easy, sometimes it might look like it can be easy because you win most games or you go on winning streaks in Scotland, but it's not easy.
'There's a lot of good teams and they're tough to play against.
'We've seen against St Mirren last weekend, they're strong and good defensively and sometimes it takes time to break teams down and there's always a chance you're not going to win every game. But we all know that.'
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