JAW BREAK PUT CELTS STAR OUT BUT NOT DOWN

A SHATTERED jaw bone left Liam Scales eating through a straw at one stage last season.

- By Michael Gannon

But the Celtic defender insists he can’t wait to sink his teeth into the challenge of staying in the Hoops starting lineup this season.

Scales spent most of last term sharing the left-sided centre-back role with Auston Trusty, but the Irishman refused to be bumped out of the side and revealed he even managed to see out a game at St Mirren in March after breaking his jaw.

The injury eventually cost him six weeks of his season, but the 26-year-old battled back to regain his place in the side for the run-in, including a spot in the Scottish Cup final starting XI.

Scales has become something of an unsung hero for Celts and it might have gone unnoticed by some that he’s always willing to bite down and smash through the pain barrier.

"It was the first time I'd had that type of injury,” revealed the defender. “Once I had the operation I had a week on liquids and then another week where I could only eat soft foods.

“I was basically eating soup through a straw for that first week. I lost quite a bit of weight but it didn’t take me long to put it back on - I like my food! But it’s all sorted now. I have a couple of plates in there so it’s probably stronger now than it was before.