Paul Dalglish: Kenny’s emotional double title delight

“I suppose it was a good weekend to be Kenny Dalglish! We celebrated, of course. We were drinking on Sunday, to be fair, and all that. On Monday morning, there were several irritated people! I’ve had my career, and my dad has had his. I’ve been fortunate enough to win one or two things myself, but he’s obviously won a lot more. However, it was the first time I had ever been allowed to join my dad in celebrating a victory for Liverpool or Celtic. Either I’ve been working, or he has been. That Sunday’s game was therefore unique.

“You grow up witnessing Liverpool win the league, don’t you? Every child is taken, and your father usually takes you to your first game. It means a lot to go to a game with your dad. Yes, it was great to watch your team win the league for the first time with your father. He became emotional—really emotional. Oh, it was strange. To witness him become so emotional over something he loves is heartwarming to someone who doesn’t typically display much emotion. He adores football and the club. Therefore, seeing how much he meant to him was quite humbling.

Dalglish Jr.’s city of origin is evident from his seemingly Liverpudlian tone. Liverpool and Glasgow have a lot in common, including shipbuilding, embracing the locals, and, especially in the green and red halves, a fondness for King Kenny. Throughout his long stay south of the border, the 74-year-old has never forgotten his roots and has even continued to impart them in his kids, which makes his PFA Scotland accolade all the more poignant. “He will find great meaning in this honor. He constantly reminds us children of our origins. Being honored by Scottish football will mean a great deal to him because it has played a significant role in our upbringing. My dad genuinely wanted to come, according to our conversation. He never loses sight of his origins.

“When we were children, we were constantly made fully aware of our origins. The ideals we were raised with were always from Glasgow, even though it may sound like we have different accents than people down south.

“Our parents had ingrained that in us since we were very small. We’ve been taught to take things lightly, aid others, and have a sense of self-deprecating humor—all of which are characteristics that are associated with Glasgow. Therefore, it is very significant to us that he is recognized by the area that holds such significance for him. If it holds great significance for him, it also holds great significance for the rest of us in the family.

I thought we would talk about things at Celtic at some time, but I never in a million years thought Liam Scales would be mentioned as much as he did when Dalglish Jr. took his seat in a fairly drab side room at Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel. Since he is the center defender’s agent, Dalglish Jr. is aware that the Irishman isn’t a favorite among Glasgow’s east end supporters.

Scales is Dalglish Jr.’s perfect customer because he never uses social media, loses confidence in the face of criticism, or even seeks attention. “He’s really a down-to-earth kid, so good for him. He just wants to play football and keep his head down. Being yourself is the most essential thing you can do in life; you should not strive to alter or give in to peer pressure or what other people think. Simply be yourself; Liam exemplifies this very well.

“It goes without saying that he has excelled for Celtic in recent years. I think that taking care of Liam over the past few years has helped me rediscover my passion for Celtic. I was there as a young player, of course. Simply put, having a purpose other than simply attending a game has made it easier for me to rediscover my passion for Celtic and Scottish football.”

There have been setbacks in Scales’ ascent to fame in green and white. He wasn’t successful in his debut season across the Irish Sea after being brought in for barely £500,000 from Shamrock Rovers during a summer of massive change under Ange Postecoglou. After a pivotal loan stint at Aberdeen during his second tenure, Scales finally became one of the most reliable names on the team sheet, even today, after Brendan Rodgers returned north of the border.

Liam owes Brendan a great deal since he trusted him. Despite the fact that Celtic appears to have acquired a number of center backs over the years, Liam deserves all the praise since he consistently manages to get his name on the team sheet and in the starting eleven. He owes Brendan a great deal because Brendan has given him the chance and still does.