Charlie Mulgrew expected a shrinking violet; he got a whirling dervish instead. The former Celtic defender knew in that instant that [Kieran Tierney](https://www.celticway.co.uk/topics/kieran-tierney/) was destined for the top levels of the game.
Tierney was the fourth-choice left-back in Celtic's U20S squad with Joe Chalmers, Calum Waters and Aidan McIlduff all above him in the pecking order when the club manager, Ronny Deila, and assistant John Collins asked him to make up the numbers at first-team training back in 2014/15. The rest, as they say, is history.
Tierney never looked back as the boyhood Celtic fan went on to represent his idols with aplomb for four seasons before sealing a Scottish transfer record £25 million switch to English Premier League giants Arsenal in 2019.
Mulgrew recalled how the precocious talent just settled into first-team training as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Everybody soon realised that Tierney had a talent which the experienced pros warmed to straight off the bat.
In an unforgiving first-team environment, Tierney didn't need armbands to stay afloat. Mulgrew reveals he was even left dumbfounded when Tierney once broke his leg but returned to first-team training sessions within six weeks.
The 44-times-capped ex-Scotland international said: "I just remember thinking he (Kieran Tierney) doesn't care, he just flies in everywhere!
"Right away I thought, 'he’s got a chance', because a lot of time young boys will come in and they'll be a bit quiet, a bit nervous or scared to do anything out of the ordinary, make a tackle or look like they really want the ball.
“Whereas he just didn't care, he was absolutely at it, and he knew the reason he was brought into the first team was because of the intensity that he'd been showing. He just delivered that again.
“He was just smashing into people, he was sprinting about and straight away you're like ‘who the heck is this?’ That's the kind of guy you want beside you in my team. He was really good, he was like an older player right away.
“Tierney was brilliant when he came in. It was a change room where you could sort of sink or swim, there was a fair bit of banter flying about. He was getting stuck right in about it, no messing about.
“He wasn’t really getting a game for the 21s, but he was training with us indoors one day when the pitches were frozen, when he broke his leg – but was back in six weeks. He had the right attitude. You could just tell he was going to grab his opportunity with both hands.
“Technically, he wasn't amazing, but when you've got that attitude and you've got that sort of willingness to learn, you see where you can go."
**Read more:**
_(Image: SNS Group)_
Kieran Tierney's Celtic return
------------------------------
Mulgrew insists that Celtic have pulled off a sensational piece of transfer business recruiting Tierney on a free transfer from the Gunners after the North London club refused to take up an extra year option on his deal.
The Scotland international left-back even turned down former Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, Everton, Juventus and Sevilla to return home to Parkhead and link up again with [Brendan Rodgers](https://www.celticway.co.uk/news/24286718.brendan-rodgers-news-interviews-updates-manager/)'s side.
Mulgrew is confident that if Celtic can keep Tierney fit, then Rodgers will have one hell of a quality player at his disposal.
The 39-year-old reckons Tierney will be determined to be just as successful as he was first time around in G40, where he won eight domestic honours, including back-to-back 'Trebles' in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Mulgrew said: “It's brilliant. It’s a great signing and he's somebody that fans will take to straight away. Everyone will know what he brings – he's a top player. He’ll be determined to be as successful as he's already been at Celtic.
"If you look over the last few seasons he keeps getting wee niggles. I’ve been there myself as a player, it's so frustrating when you start getting wee niggles it's really hard to put your finger on the reasons, but I'm sure he's done his research.
“It’ll frustrate him, he’ll be demented with it, but I'm sure he'll have a way now of dealing with these injuries and know his body even better now.
"I’d imagine that the pace of the game in Scotland won't be quite like the Premier League as Celtic dominate a lot of the ball and you're not running against the ball a lot of the time, not doing as many high-intensity runs.”
Six years have elapsed since Tierney made the move to London. He immediately endeared himself to the Arsenal supporters when he was spotted carrying his football boots to training in a plastic Tesco bag. The image went viral on social media as it resonated with the Gunners' rank-and-file.
During his spell in the Emirates, he amassed 144 appearances, scored six goals, and contributed 14 assists. He also won the FA Cup in 2020 and two FA Community Shields in 2020 and 2023.
Tierney signed off his Arsenal career in style when he scored in the 2-1 win over Southampton at St Mary's in his last ever game for the club last Sunday. That act earned gushing praise from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as the Gunners fans serenaded their departing favourite.
Tierney is now returning to Celtic in the prime of his career and at the peak of his powers. However, Mulgrew isn't having any of the 'plastic bag' working-class roots chat. He revealed that Tierney has always been a great down-to-earth guy whose dedication to his craft was second to none.
Mulgrew said: "Kieran just loves playing football. I don’t buy into the plastic bags thing, though! It can be perceived in any way. It doesn’t mean that because you've got a nice bag, you're not into football! I've seen plenty of boys with nice bags that are just the same.
“People think he just loves his football because he’s got a Farmfoods bag! Meanwhile, some kid gets written off as big time because he’s got a nice bag. There’s more to it than that – and more to him as well.
“It doesn’t work that way. Wee Jamesie (Forrest) had a nice bag! I bumped into him the other day, and he had a nice watch! It doesn’t mean he’s not the same old Jamesie and he’s chucked it and gone big time. He’s still the same down-to-earth, professional person you could meet.
"Kieran is exactly the same. A brilliant guy. It doesn’t matter what you wear, whether or not you have a bag, a fancy watch or tattoos, it’s about your attitude and how you conduct yourself."
Those are two attributes that Tierney has never struggled with from day one.