Tierney agrees five-year deal upon Celtic return

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.