Kieran Tierney has thanked Arsenal fans for supporting him through the “good and bad” ahead of his return to Celtic as a free agent.
The Scotland international leaves north London at the end of the month having made 144 appearances for the club, scoring six goals, including a farewell strike on the final day of the season at Southampton. During his time at the Emirates, he lifted the 2020 FA Cup and two Community Shields.
Signed for £25 million during Unai Emery’s tenure, Tierney quickly endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful with his swashbuckling runs down the flank and no-nonsense approach on and off the pitch. A Tesco bag for life and short sleeves, whatever the weather, will do that. Sadly, his time at the club was persistently interrupted by injuries.
He arrived carrying a groin issue, then dislocated his shoulder just as he was starting to settle. Throw in the COVID pandemic and his first season was far from straightforward. While he earned a contract extension under Mikel Arteta, further knee and hamstring problems – both requiring surgery – limited his development. By the time the latter hit, he was already drifting to the fringes and spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad.
Injuries played their part, but it was Arteta’s tactical shift — and specifically the preference for an inverted left-back — that truly curtailed his chances in red and white.
Despite a few recent appearances, the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly and last summer’s signing of Riccardo Calafiori have left the Gunners well stocked on the left. Arteta can also call on Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior and, at a push, Takehiro Tomiyasu to provide further cover.
Ironically, the player whose arrival most directly impacted Tierney’s game time – Oleksandr Zinchenko – also appears to be heading for the exit this summer.
It’s understood Everton, Juventus, and Bayer Leverkusen held talks with Tierney, but the pull of home proved too strong. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed in January that the defender would return to Glasgow, with a signing-on fee expected to help offset a significant wage cut.
Speaking after his last appearance on the final day of the season at Saint Mary’s, Tierney had [one last message to supporters](https://www.arsenal.com/news/tierney-happy-goodbye-i-loved-every-minute):
“Just thank you, for everything. From day one, they supported us through the good times and the bad, they’ve supported me through some hard times as well.
“I think that’s what I’m most grateful for, the times where it wasn’t so good or so easy for me, is where they probably supported me the most. I’m just very grateful and feel very lucky to have the support from them.
“I feel so lucky that I’ve played for this club and the love that the supporters have given me has been amazing. I’ve loved every day here and I’ve learned so much, I’ve improved so much and I just feel very lucky.
“When I first came in, obviously the club is huge, absolutely massive, but in the league table we were probably where we shouldn’t be. I think the growth over the last three or four years has been incredible and I think this club and this group of players and the manager are just going to go on to even better things in the future.
“It’ll be hard but it’s a happy goodbye. I’ve loved it here, loved every minute of it. There are countless memories that are amazing for me; your debut is always special, and winning the FA Cup as well in the first season.
“It’s a great team, and I’m so close to some of the boys in there. I’ve been here a long time, so it’ll be sad but a happy goodbye.”
Best of luck to him back in Scotland.