Category Sports News

Scotland defender Kieran Tierney has completed his planned return to Celtic, signing a five-year contract after leaving Arsenal.

The 28-year-old left-back departed Glasgow for the north London club in a £25m deal in 2019 and made 144 appearances, scoring six times, including one in his final game.

Prior to that, he played 170 times for Celtic, netting eight times, and later made 26 appearances on loan to Real Sociedad from Arsenal. He won his 50th Scotland cap in Friday’s home loss to Iceland and has one international goal.

“Everybody’s known for a few months and just to be here with the Celtic strip on again just feels amazing.

“When you move away from home, you grow up, you learn different things. I was in Spain for a year, learning a different language and playing in a different league, so I’m definitely a different person.

“Player-wise, it’s the same as I always say – I’ll try and work my hardest, I’ll do my best for the club and that’s all I can do.”

Tierney had gone on loan to Sociedad after falling out of favour under Mikel Arteta amid injury problems and failed to become a regular starter on his return, and all but four of his 20 appearances this season were as a substitute.

While in the final few months of his contract at Arsenal, Tierney’s return to Celtic Park had been confirmed in February.

This season, Brendan Rodgers’ side won the Scottish Premiership and League Cup, while also reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League.

The Celtic boss said: “He is such a talented, high quality player and he will be a massive addition to our squad.

“We are so pleased to bring such an elite player back to the club and I look forward to working with him again and the rest of the squad, as we face the many challenges ahead at home and in Europe.”

Former Celtic and Scotland captain Scott Brown

He’s a very, very good character in and about the place. Everyone loves him because whoever he goes to, he gives 110%. You can see how good he’s got going down the road, working with probably even better quality players as well, playing in the Champions League, then going away to Spain.

It’s a really good fit for the club and also a really good fit for him as well.

He’s nowhere near coming to the end of his career. He’s still got a long, long way to go and he’ll probably say, ‘can I go and win trophies, can I go and show that I’m a top quality player as well?’ and go again.

Jobe Bellingham has joined Borussia Dortmund from Sunderland on a five-year contract until June 2030.

Sunderland say the fee is a club record, believed to be 32m euros (£26.96m) plus 5m euros (£4.2m) in add-ons.

The 19-year-old midfielder has played for the Black Cats since 2023, making 90 appearances, and helped them secure promotion to the Premier League last season.

Bellingham began his career at Birmingham City, coming through the academy before playing two years of senior football for the club.

In a statement, Bellingham said he is proud of the “strong” relationship he has with Sunderland supporters.

“I will always represent Wearside in all that I strive to achieve for the rest of my career, wherever that may be,” he said.

With the deal being completed by 10 June, Bellingham can play for Dortmund at the Club World Cup, which begins on Sunday.

Dortmund’s opening group game is against Brazilian side Fluminense on 17 June at 17:00 BST.

Bellingham has been named in the England squad for the European Under-21 Championship, to be held in Slovakia from 11-28 June.

But head coach Lee Carsley has said he will release players so they can compete at the Club World Cup in the United States.

Bellingham is following in the footsteps of older brother Jude by moving to the Bundesliga, as the England midfielder – who also came through the Birmingham City youth system – spent three years with Dortmund before joining Real Madrid in 2023.

He added in his farewell to Sunderland fans: “I hope that I have made you proud along the way, and in return, you have made me the player that has reached the heights I find myself at today.

“I will love and remember you fondly for the rest of my life.”

George Turner is recalled by Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend for their summer Pacific Tour after a year out while playing in Japan.

But there is no place in the 36-man party to face the Maori All Blacks, Fiji and Samoa for fellow hooker Dave Cherry and Ali Price, who are both leaving Edinburgh this summer, and experienced lock Jonny Gray.

Glasgow Warriors number eight Jack Dempsey, Edinburgh flanker Luke Crosbie and centre Mosese Tuipulotu all miss out through injury.

Bath fly-half Finn Russell, who was co-captain for the Six Nations, is one of those absentees, so Glasgow flanker Rory Darge is named as skipper on his own this time.

Uncapped Soyaux Angouleme XV Charente number eight Alex Masibaka and Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke, who were in this season’s Six Nations squad without playing, are included.

Saracens forward Andy Onyeama-Christie and Glasgow lock Max Williamson return after missing the Six Nations through injury.

Glasgow forward Matt Fagerson has been selected as he continues his recovery from injury.

Turner has not played for Scotland since leaving Warriors for Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan, but the 32-year-old could now add to his 45 caps after signing for Harlequins for next season.

Backs

Fergus Burke (Saracens), Matt Currie (Edinburgh), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors), Cameron Redpath (Bath), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Harry Paterson (Edinburgh), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors), Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), Ben White (Toulon).

Forwards

Wales very nearly completed a comeback of the ages before ultimately falling to a 4-3 loss to Belgium.

Craig Bellamy’s side trailed 3-0 in Brussels before goals from Harry Wilson, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson saw them level proceedings in the World Cup qualifying fixture, only for Kevin De Bruyne to net a late winner to break the visitors’ hearts.

Bellamy said he was “beyond proud” of his players for their efforts against Rudi Garcia’s side.

“If you’re going to lose a game, it’s not the worst way to lose it,” former Wales striker Helen Ward told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

“There was so much excitement, drama and character shown from [Craig Bellamy’s] team.”

Ex-Wales forward Sam Vokes – who netted in a 3-1 victory over Belgium at Euro 2016 – commented: “It was a roller coaster of emotions.

“As Welsh fans that we are, I was very proud watching us coming back.”

Danny Gabbidon – who won 49 Wales caps between 2002 and 2014 – told BBC Radio 5 Live Sport: “Wow. What a game of football. Unbelievable.

“I’ve got to say, if this is the way Wales will play moving forward, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to watch because I’m not sure if the old ticker is going to be able to take it.”

Fulham’s Wilson started the comeback with a penalty just before the break in Brussels, his sixth goal in eight appearances under Bellamy.

And ex-Wales frontman Rob Earnshaw believes the 28-year-old is among a clutch of players who have fully stepped up to the plate under the new regime.

“The likes of Harry Wilson, he’s probably the stand out where I’ve seen him grow into a real man, in a sense, into a real top football player,” Earnshaw told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

“Adding goals and assists, he got a goal last night. He’s thriving.

“But then I look around and I see the likes of Sorba Thomas, he got an assist the other night [against Liechtenstein] and a goal [against Belgium].

“David Brooks, he’s had his troubles over the last few years but he loves playing for Wales, you can see the energy.

“There’s a real sense that anybody in the team has got a chance and players are thriving – I love to see it.”

Having relied heavily on the astonishing talent of talisman Gareth Bale in the past, Vokes believes Wales have, over time, managed to build a group littered with experience.

“What we do have in the group, players like [Ethan] Ampadu and Wilson that have played a lot of games and they’ve got that experience,” he added.

“We do have a group that have kind of grown up together.”

At 3-0 down after just 27 minutes following goals from Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku, all hope had appeared lost for Wales.

But Earnshaw believes Bellamy’s Wales can take a huge amount from the defeat in Brussels given their remarkable fightback.

“We know Belgium are good and Wales were given no chance, especially being 3-0 down,” he explained.

“But what I did love was that, I think what this new Wales has really given us is that we could be 3-0 down, but it’s not over.

“It’s a lot to take, but I’ve been in dressing rooms where sometimes you lose a game but you learn so much and you feel more confident.”

Ward added: “The spirit of that team, they’re never out of it and they kept going. Even at 3-3 they didn’t try and settle for that.”

Wales have never come from 3-0 down to win or draw a match, but Roberts could not hide his pride at the way Bellamy’s side fought back to challenge for a share of the spoils at King Baudouin Stadium.

“We were punished for a poor 20 minutes in the first half and we had a mountain to climb after that, but fair play to the players, they climbed it,” he said.

Wales sit second – a point behind Group J leaders North Macedonia – at the midway stage of the qualifying campaign.

Belgium have two games in hand over both the top two, and Roberts believes the matches with North Macedonia and Belgium at Cardiff City Stadium later this year will be “crucial”.

And even with four matches still to play for Wales, Gabbidon feels the race for top spot will go down to the wire.

“North Macedonia have started well, I think we’ve seen some flaws in this Belgium team and Wales have had a decent start,” he said.

“I think it’s going to be a really interesting group, I think it’s going to go right to the death to see who qualifies.”

Ward added: “It’s wide open. With home games to come against the top teams it’s good for Wales, we know how good they are at the Cardiff City Stadium. It’s all to play for.”

At the 2022 World Cup finals, Wales picked up just one point from their three group stage matches, suffering damaging losses to Iran and England having opened the tournament with a 1-1 draw against the USA.

And Vokes believes the current members of the squad who featured in Qatar are determined to make amends by putting on a show in next year’s global showpiece.

“We have a group that went to a World Cup last time and felt like we didn’t do ourselves justice,” he explained.

“Having spoken to some of those players since that tournament, they’re desperate to get back there. They’re a group that are together and that are willing to get back there.