Bought for £3m, ‘brilliant’ 25-year-old Celtic player is now worth more than double his fee

Greg Taylor on Celtic vs Rangers 'bittersweet' strike as Scottish Cup goal counted for nothing - Glasgow Live

Greg Taylor has been one of Celtic’s best players over the past two seasons.

Bought as a replacement for Kieran Tierney in 2019, the £3m signing from Kilmarnock has big boots to fill following in the steps of the Celtic fan favourite.

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And to be fair to him, he hasn’t done much wrong. Taylor was always going to be compared to the now Real Sociedad defender in his first season and that was really unfair on him.

His second season didn’t fare any better. As COVID took over the country, stadiums were shut down and Celtic endured one of their worst seasons since the turn of the century. Oh, and he also had to play second fiddle to Diego Laxalt.

But it wasn’t until the arrival of Ange Postecoglou in 2021 that we started to see the best of the Scotland international fullback. He really flourished in that inverted full-back role and he was said to be in the running for Celtic’s Player of the Year last season.

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And now, due to his excellent form over the last two seasons, Taylor has been valued at £8.5m in a new football study carried out by CIES Football Observatory.

TBE Celtic told how the study has four Celtic players valued in excess of £10m earlier today and the brilliant 25-year-old wasn’t too far away from that.

After a quieter start to the new season under Brendan Rodgers, Taylor looked back to his best in the 1-0 win at Ibrox on Sunday.

Hopefully, now, Taylor will continue that form as Celtic have crucial months in September and October that include the Champions League group games and tough away trips to Hearts and Hibs in the SPFL.

‘That option’: John Hartson tips 25-year-old versatile Celtic player for shock Champions League selection

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The international break is now in full swing and whilst some football fans dislike this time of the season, others enjoy watching their club players represent their country at the highest level.

For Celtic fans, many of don’t enjoy the international break as the club has a history of some of their top players returning injured.

Hopefully that doesn’t happen and all the players return fit and healthy for the upcoming Champions League campaign.

Because we are going to need a fully fit squad to face the likes of Feyenoord, Lazio and Atletico Madrid. But should injury do hit or form dips in the side, former Celtic striker, John Hartson, has said that Liam Scales could come in from the cold and do a job for the Hoops in Europe’s premier competition.

Hartson said [The Go Radio Football Show], “He can play when some of the centre-backs come back like [Cameron] Carter-Vickers and one or two others. You know you got Liam Scales who’s naturally left-footed, who can play out the left-back as well.

“So he can play in that position. His fitness levels, he can get up and down the pitch, he can give you that physical presence.

“Certainly defensively in the Champions League with the quality, defending set pieces, these types of things.
“[Greg] Taylor’s done okay, but Brendan’s got that option of Taylor of Scales who can actually play left-back as well.”

Scales has certainly impressed at Celtic this season under Brendan Rodgers. And not just at Ibrox.

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The Irishman was a part of the club’s preseason training camp in Portugal and the tour of Japan and impressed the Celtic manager with his ‘first class attitude‘ throughout the summer.

Scales was brought in as emergency cover in the Hoops backline as a horrific run of injuries decimated the backline. And hasn’t he done well?

The fullback has been receiving an incredible amount of plaudits for his performance against Rangers and now with Hartson suggesting he could do a job for the club in the Champions League, has Scales now forced his way into Brendan Rodgers‘ plans permanently now?

We shall soon find out when the 25-man squad for the competition is named later this month but it is fair to say he has done his chances no harm at all this week.