The left-back had only one club on his mind with a Parkhead return for the Scotland international fast approaching
11:55, 15 Mar 2025Updated 12:01, 15 Mar 2025
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney
Arsenal star Kieran Tierney has spoken for the first time since agreeing a pre-contract move to Celtic.
The Scotland international will be back wearing the Hoops this summer as his contract with the Premier League giants ticks down.
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Tierney has struggled for regular game time this term - making just 11 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners after returning from his loan at Real Sociedad last summer.
Amid an on-going injury crisis at the Emirates, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta handed Tierney a surprise recall to the starting line-up against PSV Eindhoven - deploying the 27-year-old on the left wing.
Before the game, Tierney was interviewed by club media - and had plenty to say on Celtic with the countdown on until his return.
He spoke up the influence of former captain Scott Brown on his career - and admitted he still talks to the iconic Parkhead skipper almost every day.
Discussing Brown and his apprenticeship as a youngster in Glasgow's east end, he said: "Yeah he was the captain at the time, and from the outside he can be an intimidating player, but as soon I was in the squad he looked after me.
"He coached me a bit for the under-20s because he was doing his coaching badges at the time, then when I came into the first team he really looked after me.
"Still now I speak to him most days, he's probably my best friend in football. He was amazing for me when I started - the definition of a captain. If you could describe what a captain should be, it would be Scott Brown.
Celtic captain Scott Brown and Kieran Tierney(Image: SNS Group)
"And you had other experienced players like Charlie Mulgrew and Mikael Lustig who had so much experience, so many international caps, so going into a changing room and learning from guys like that was great.
"I think people like that are rare to come across now. I think generations have changed a bit so they were the last of the old school really.
"The first time I met Scott would have been when I was a ball boy, but the first time properly would have been in training.
"He seemed to take a liking to me, he liked my attitude and my work ethic I think. He was definitely intimidating though - he still is now man! I wouldn't say anything to him!
"But I think you need that kind of fear factor as a young player. You don't want to be able to walk into a changing room at that age and think it's all easy. I think that's changed with this generation now but then there was always a fear factor."
Tierney also had high praise for Brendan Rodgers - admitting the boss changed his perspective on the game during his first spell at Celtic Park.
He went on: "The game has changed, it's getting more tactical and you need to be switched on.
Brendan Rodgers and Kieran Tierney of Celtic are seen during the UEFA Champions League Qualifier between Celtic and Alashkert FC at Celtic Park on July 18, 2018
(Image: Getty Images)
"When you are a young player you do a lot more about what feels right at the time, but the game has definitely evolved.
"The first was going into the changing room with Ronny Deila, but then the season after that, when Brendan Rodgers came in having been at Liverpool, he showed me a new version of football. That progressed every year, and the way I watched games changed too.
"I began looking more at formations, tactics and style of play. I would watch different left backs and analyse it more myself.
"That's such a big part of the game now, you need to be switched on to every scenario. The manager here (Arteta) is unbelievable tactically, so I want to take as much as I can, learn as much as I can because it will improve you. You learn every day.
"I was a bit more off the cuff when I started, I was up and down all the time but now I need to be more positionally aware tactically.
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"Different teams want different styles now, and there is more emphasis on wingers to get forward and beat their man than the full back now. So the game has changed since I made my debut."