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Kieran Tierney is back with Celtic. Following his Arsenal exit, the defender will wear his beloved green and white hoops once again.
But, away from the romance and hysteria of the Scotland international’s stunning return, what player is Brendan Rodgers actually getting six years after his move to London?
First and foremost, Celtic are getting a helluva left-back on a five-year contract.
Despite limited Premier League game time (252 minutes) last season, Tierney still ranks well when comparing his underlying numbers to his peers in England’s top flight.
On a per-90-minutes basis, his chance creation (2.86) is better than any other defender, while his expected assists (0.26) put him in the top four.
His dribble success (67%) and duel win rate (64%) also make for impressive reading.
At his best for the London club, Tierney was one of the top full-backs in a league many regard as the world’s best in terms of both quality and drama.
Some Arsenal fans viewed the Celtic youth product as a future captain, but he fell out of favour with Arteta after several big-money full-back signings knocked him down the pecking order.
Limited minutes meant a season-long loan move to Real Sociedad, where Tierney played 20 times in the 2023-24 campaign as the La Liga side finished sixth in Spain’s top tier.
At international level, he has continually shown he is one of Scotland’s most important players. Steve Clarke’s team just does not function the same without him.
What about his injury record?
However, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over a career packed with injury worries that have mounted up since his Parkhead exit.
Just four of Tierney’s 20 club appearances last season were starts, meaning he played just 447 minutes of football after returning from a serious hamstring injury suffered at Euro 2024 last summer.
In the 2023-24 campaign, he played 1,483 minutes for Sociedad, the equivalent of about 16 full 90-minute matches. The season before was almost exactly the same.
According to Transfermarkt, he has endured 11 spells of absence since leaving Celtic, amounting to 94 games missed for club and country.
That is the equivalent of two-and-a-half seasons of Scottish Premiership football.
Tierney also had to leave the Scotland camp injured on Sunday after earning his 50th cap in the 3-1 home defeat to Iceland. The extent of that issue is unclear.
It is fair to assume he will be returning to become one of Celtic’s top earners. That is, of course, a risk given his injury record, but a fit-and-firing Tierney undoubtedly improves Rodgers’ side at Champions League level.
In addition, what does that mean for Greg Taylor? The 27-year-old, who has won as many Premiership titles as Tierney and has 14 Scotland caps of his own, is set to become a free agent this summer.
Rodgers is keen to have both players in his squad, but Taylor has reservations over becoming a rotation player after making himself first-choice left-back.
Rodgers ‘so pleased’ to bring back ‘elite player’
One thing that is for certain is Tierney’s devotion to the cause, with Rodgers “so pleased” to welcome home “such an elite player” who has “always had Celtic in his blood”.
The love-in is mutual, with the Scotland international describing the Northern Irishman as a “great person” and “one of the best” who played a major part in persuading him to work under him at Celtic Park for a second time.
“He never had to convince me much, but it’s just a huge bonus he’s the manager because I loved working with him,” Tierney told Celtic’s website.
“He knows how to get the best out of me and I just loved my time under him.”
Tierney suggested he returns “a different person” who has had to “grow up” while away from his home.
His ambitions for Celtic, though, remain as they always were – to “continue to win trophies” and “retain our place at the top”.
‘Really good fit for club and player’
Former Celtic and Scotland captain Scott Brown speaking to BBC Scotland
“He’s a very, very good character in and about the place. Everyone loves him because he gives 110%.
“You can see how good he’s got going down the road, working with even better 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 I’m a top quality player?’.
“It’s probably the best move Celtic’s made. Looking at Kieran, Brendan Rodgers got the best out of him before, he knows what he’s like. I’m sure he probably tried to sign him when he was down at Leicester as well.
Related topics
- Scottish Premiership
- Celtic
- Scottish Football
