The left-back has become a mentor for the rising Parkhead right-back
Colby Donovan (L) and Kieran Tierney(Image: SNS Group)
View 2 Images
Colby Donovan handed his No.63 jersey back to Kieran Tierney last summer.
Now the Celtic kid wants to follow the same path as the man who made that number famous.
Just like KT, Hoops-daft Donovan has enjoyed a meteoric rise at his boyhood club. Brendan Rodgers handed the youngster his big breakthrough last season after a long-term injury to Alistair Johnston.
And the 20-year-old has since grown into the famous green and white shirt he always dreamed of wearing. Now, barely 12 months on, Donovan has earned a first Scotland call-up.
It is a similar career path to Tierney, who also burst through the Parkhead ranks before becoming a national star.
And Donovan has revealed his close pal and idol was over the moon to see him rewarded with a place in Sebastien Pocognoli’s Scotland squad. The right-back said: “Kieran’s been brilliant to me since I came through and he came back from Arsenal, he and I have clicked.
“Being a good mate of Kieran’s, that’s brilliant. Him seeing me doing well, he’s obviously happy as well. He’s been a big role model to me, not even just in and about Celtic, away from the club as well. We talk to each other every day, there’s no better player to learn from coming from the academy than KT, is there?
“We’re both boys who lived and breathed Celtic. So for me to follow in his footsteps, I’ve been loving it. I just want to go on and hopefully have the career he’s had because he’s had an unbelievable career.”
Tierney made the No.63 his own when he burst on to the scene in 2015.
And when the fans’ favourite returned to Celtic from Arsenal last summer, Donovan had a special gift waiting for him.
He laughed: “That was a big thing when he was coming back, we still talk about that to this day. I was No.63 and I had to give it back. He’s done well in that number, so he has every right to wear it.”
Celtic and Scotland will have some talent on their hands if Donovan achieves even half of what Tierney has managed during his illustrious career.
The promising defender – who now dons No.51 – has taken another huge step as he stands on the brink of his first international cap.
He beamed: “There was a lot of noise about it, so when I found out I was going to be in the squad, I was buzzing. The manager actually phoned me the day before the squad came out. We just spoke and he said how he wanted me to play.
“He told me I’d get chances, so I knew before that and then when I saw the squad come out I was even more buzzing that it was actually going to happen.
“There were a lot of people asking me about it but I just put it to the back of my mind and tried to focus on what I’ve got to do at the club. I know I’ve got two big games to go before that, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Donovan is learning quickly life as a footballer comes with dizzying highs and painful lows.
His Scotland call came just 24 hours after Celtic were thumped 3-0 by Rangers at Ibrox.
The full-back was the only Hoops player to emerge with a pass mark but admits the outcome of his first Glasgow derby was a bitter blow to take.
Colby Donovan of Celtic passes under pressure from James Penrice of Rangers(Image: Fred Palmer/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock)
View 2 Images
He added: “It’s dull for everybody. But we know that wasn’t us on Sunday, it wasn’t a Celtic performance, but at times it’s going to happen.
“After the game I didn’t bother with anybody, I just put my own head down and got on with it. That’s the good thing about being at a club like this – you’ve got a game every three days, so you need to go into the next game and make up for it.”
Martin O’Neill hailed Donovan as “an absolute warrior” and singled out the youngster in the dressing room.
But the level-headed defender knows the praise counts for little when Celtic have just been knocked out of a cup by Rangers.
He said: “It’s always good when you hear that come from the gaffer. He’s a legend at this club. So when he picks me out as doing well, it’s real praise. But I know I can’t take it as I’m happy, we’ve just got beat off our fiercest rivals in my first game against them.
“You can’t enjoy it at that time, it was more just I wanted to win, that was my main thing.
“I didn’t really bother how I played, I’d take not playing well in every game so long as we win.
“But it made me feel a wee bit better.”
Donovan bleeds green and white and knows the Celtic support will demand a response against Ferencvaros tonight – then again on Sunday.
He said: “As a Celtic fan, I have a feeling what they’ll be thinking. They’ll be maybe not on our side when we go out there but you need to put that by you.
“You’ve got a game to win Thursday, you need to set off right in the Europa League and hopefully it gives us a good bit of confidence going into Sunday.”