SHAMROCK ROVERS HAVE pulled off a significant coup for next season by completing the signing of promising defender Liam Scales.
The Wicklow native, who is a left-sided centre-back, will move to Tallaght Stadium after a four-year spell at UCD, where he recently earned a Geography degree.
Scales, who was a member of UCD’s First Division title-winning side in 2018, has been capped five times by the Republic of Ireland at U21 level this year.
“We’ve really liked Liam for quite some time,” said Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley. “I think he has a lot of attributes that fit the way we play so it’s a great match, for Liam and the club.
“We spoke with him a few months back when he was with UCD but these things take time and he was looking at every option available to him. He’s had a lot of interest from outside the league and that’s been going on for quite some time, so we’re delighted that he sees his future with us.”
Earlier this year, Scales rejected an offer to join Manchester City’s U23 side. He was also the subject of an approach from League One club Bristol Rovers.
“I’m delighted to get it all done,” he said of his move to the FAI Cup holders. “My time at UCD came to an end so it was time to move on and for me, Shamrock Rovers is the best option. They’re on the up and they’ve got a great crop of young players coming through.
“I was at the FAI Cup final and I saw how good that performance was, and I just wanted to be part of something like that. Rovers played a Dundalk team that had won the league for the last couple of years and they deserved to win that final. It was a great performance and that kind of swung it for me. Plus, the history of the club and the stadium at Tallaght, I love playing there.
“They’ve got a young manager who wants to win the league and that’s huge for me. I want to win silverware and be part of a team that wins trophies. The lads proved last year that they can do that.
“I played against them three or four times this year and they play it out from the back as much as they can. That would suit me because it’s the style of play UCD played while I was there for a few years. Obviously it’s a step-up from UCD and I’ll have to improve certain aspects of my game but I can’t wait to get going.”
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