Now deep in the throes of the business end of the season, pressure is an omnipresent force amid the Scottish Premiership title race.

And as Celtic and Rangers prepare to lock horns for the fourth and final time in league competition this Saturday at Celtic Park, the stakes really couldn't be higher.

A win for Brendan Rodgers' side would see them pull six points ahead of their city rivals with just two games remaining thereafter. Should Philippe Clement's men prevail, on the other hand, and it'll be all-square at the top with pole position determined by goal difference; a figure that's currently weighed five in Celtic's favour.

For Liam Scales, the ability to handle the pressure on and off the pitch is part of modern football – but it's something that's been helped immeasurably by the Celtic manager. Here, Liam Scales hails Brendan Rodgers' ability to lower pressure among the ranks. 

"He's great and he instils belief in all of us," said Scales. "You might be feeling a bit of pressure and he'll just take it away, calm it down, and show why we're here and really make us believe in ourselves. So, that's a good trait and it helps us a lot.

"I feel like I'm alright under pressure. I think most people are at this level, I think it'd be hard to get to a certain level if you struggle under pressure.

"I feel like most people here are good under pressure and we've a squad full of players who have a good mentality. That really helps, we're all here together, there's no bad eggs, no one against us, we're all here and we're all one unit working towards the same goal and that's what helps us most."

READ MORE: Liam Scales says he'd love to finish his career at Celtic

On the pitch, Scales is a firm believer in the collective mantra of taking things game-by-game, but away from the training ground and matchdays, the 25-year-old does whatever he can to switch off from football altogether.

He added: "I don't really use social media, and I don't really follow football outside of what we do. I do watch the big games and I like tuning into the League of Ireland, but when I go away from [training and games] I sort of switch off from football.

"It's not as big a part of my life outside of the training ground, as much as it is with other players, but people are different. I do love football, but to deal with that pressure you've got to have other things to take your mind off of it."