“From Arklow (Barndarrig) to Immortality: Mahony on the Making of Liam Scales”
On a cool Monday night still buzzing from the seismic events of 24 hours earlier, Larry Mahony can’t help but smile. The former Arklow Town coach, one of the earliest mentors in Liam Scales’ footballing life, is still processing what millions witnessed: Scales rising on the biggest stage, delivering a moment that felt, as she puts it, “not just an Irish sporting moment, but a universal sporting moment.”
Mahony coached Scales from u 9 to u 14, a four-year spell that quietly set the foundation beneath the Celtic and Ireland defender now adored nationwide. But back then? Scales was no defender.
“The Liam you see now was a completely different Liam then,” Mahony laughs. “He was a tricky winger. Great crosser, great dribbler, brilliant in the air. A fantastic attacking player.”
That aerial ability, the timing and intelligence that now anchor Celtic’s defence, were already visible. But more than his feet or his leap, it was his mind that set him apart.
“We worship the altar of ability,” Mahony says. “But it’s not physical ability that decides who becomes a professional. Liam had a very sharp football brain—even as a winger. He could see things early, think ahead. That’s unusual in kids, and honestly still unusual in a lot of adult players.”
He remembers a particular moment—one that now feels prophetic—when Scales’ father asked if his son had a genuine chance. Mahony didn’t hesitate.
“I told him yes. Definitely.”
Their paths diverged when Scales moved to Dublin and later broke into the Schools International side. Mahony recalls being “delighted” to see him play—until he noticed his new position.
“I was disgusted!” he laughs. “Centre-back! But of course, now it makes sense.”
From Arklow Town’s first team as a teenager to UCD, from Shamrock Rovers to Celtic, Scales climbed each rung with a calmness Mahony compares—not lightly—to her former pupil Roy Keane.
“It wasn’t about temperament or ability,” he clarifies. “It was the stepping up. Roy never had a problem with it, and Liam is the same. Whatever the level, he plays the same way.”
That composure now radiates in green as well as green-and-white. Scales’ passing numbers in Scotland and his seamless transition into international football only reinforce Mahony’s belief that there’s another level still in him.
“I honestly think he can step up again,” she says.
As for the future, Mahony expects Scales to navigate it with the same steady hand.
“He’s very calm, very level-headed. I can’t ever see him taking a misstep in his career.”
After Sunday night’s heroics, few in Wicklow—or Ireland—would argue.
No comments:
Post a Comment