Liam Scales. A player who is often criticised, but one who has never given up hope for Celtic this season. Things may have looked grim for the Hoops this season when, in March, the team needed to win every game to secure both the league title and the Scottish Cup, but Scales always fought our corner.
Now, he has reflected on all of this season's drama.
Speaking to The Celtic Way, Scales said: "I can remember going away with the international team in March, having lost to Dundee United, and saying to everyone, all we need to do is win every game to win a double, and it's kind of getting laughed off, so it's amazing to go and actually do that.
"I think everyone kind of had their doubts coming off the back of that loss at Dundee United. It was a tall task, but the lads have just been incredible.
"Personally, I probably haven't felt more confident under a manager. The confidence he gives us and me personally – it's been great, it's been really good.
"It's been tough, and there have been ups and downs, but as a group I think we've always felt that confidence from the manager, and me personally, 100 per cent it's made a big difference.
"Personally, I'd be delighted [if Celtic kept Martin O'Neill for next season]. "I love playing for him. Obviously, that's out of my hands, but it would be great for me. I've really enjoyed playing with him, and I think we've been really successful."
Reflecting on how the league went, Scales said: "We definitely made it more difficult for ourselves at times, but it's never going to be smooth all the way through.
"We have to get it to bounce back from all those little ups and downs, and I think we managed to do that, but I guess we've had it in the past, and it'll happen again.
"It's never going to be 100 per cent smooth, so I think everyone can learn from mistakes. Everyone's included in that – players, coaches, board – it goes all the way up.
"The last couple of months have all gone in one direction. It's been great for us so it gives us the chance to go into next season on a positive note but it also gives us that realisation that we need to continue to improve and continue to be at the top of our game to win things because we weren't for stages in the season and that's kind of put us in this difficult situation, so it's a bit of both.
"You have that positivity in the group, and everyone's buzzing, but then there's also the sense that 'Right, we need to push on again'."
Scales also touched on the possibility of making it into the Champions League: "It's great to put ourselves in this position. I know we need to go and qualify next season, but we were so disappointed this year with the way it went at the start of the season.
"I think a lot of us, the lads who were involved at the start of the year, will really realise how big it is for the club to be playing in that competition, and we want to put that right.
"I think we just couldn't get it over the line, and I think we were a little bit stiff and not playing as well as we would have liked. I don't think it was the thing about us not wanting it enough because everyone wants it, and everyone knows how big it is to be there."
Scales may get criticism, but he's a true Celtic man
Although Scales is often under fire for a range of things, he is a true Celtic man. Even when things looked terrible in March, he believed and expressed to his teammates that the Hoops could go on an unthinkable run to win the double. People laughed, but they're not laughing now.
After his contract extension, Scales won't be going anywhere. However you feel about that, it's great to have someone like him in the dressing room. He has made it clear that he doesn't see his future outside of Parkhead, and he's only going to keep improving.
Not only is Scales raring to go for another season, but he's backing O'Neill to stay on as manager. It is rumoured that no one at the club has decided who the next head coach will be, so could it be good news for believers that the 74-year-old will remain in the dugout?
We will surely find out soon enough, with the season now said and done. He hasn't ruled it out, and he is the joint-favourite next to Robbie Keane to be the manager for the first game of the 26/27 Scottish Premiership season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google