Kieran Tierney(63)
Kieran Tierney is a designer product at a bargain price. Not quite runway Givenchy or Prada, but still of such quality that it would be rare to find on the racks of TK Maxx. His one major flaw - fitness - has seen him fall short of the genuine, top-shelf of football, and that is very much Celtic’s gain.
After six years of Arsenal and North London, the 28-year-old is moving back home, coming up the road on a free transfer, and returning to where his football career began at the age of 7. A daring and talented defender, full of passion and measured aggression, Tierney is held in massive esteem by the support. The archetype Celtic player. One of us.
On this occasion, there is little need for the scouting reports, statistical breakdowns and fan testimonies that usually accompany new additions. We very much know what we’re getting.
From the off, his boundless overlapping energy on the left will add a new dynamic to this team. At his best, he is a swashbuckling, traditional full-back. The vertical, linear, A to B type runner, which is in complete contrast to the more centralised, clandestine play we’ve seen in recent seasons. Desperate to get beyond his winger, before fizzing in dangerous crosses, his game in an attacking sense is urgent and direct. All action.
His 1 v 1 defending is his most pronounced attribute, though. Now considered a vintage style, he is perfectly comfortable going to ground with a sliding tackle, hitting right wingers, with an aggression usually reserved for someone who stole your gran’s purse. The combative, no-nonsense style is what has endeared him to Arsenal and Celtic fans alike, the sort of left-back we grew up watching. He is nothing like thuggish or clumsy, though and executes these tackles with immaculate timing and technique.
Having worked under Mikel Arteta for 6 years, he has had a fine education in a technical sense and the hope is that he will return a more polished gem than the one we sold in 2019. Tactically, his understanding of the game is more comprehensive, and he has experience of being deployed in a variety of roles. Recently, he’s appeared as a left winger and centre half in the Premier League and also played as a kind of hybrid - left of a 3 but with a license to get forward - centre half for Scotland.
Whilst not integral to Arsenal’s plans last season, he made 20 appearances and competed in a squad that finished second in their domestic league and also went to the semi-final in the Champions League. The season before that, he was on loan with Real Sociedad, playing the best part of 30 games in La Liga. Another bullet point on an exceptional CV, another layer of learning.
On paper, it’s unrealistic that we could pull off such a signing were it not for his affection for the club, its location, or his very obvious injury problems.
And therein lies the crutch; the catch to getting such a high calibre of player on a free transfer.
On average, Tierney has managed roughly 30 games a season over the last 6 years. Celtic played 57 last season, and this represents a considerable shortfall. He’ll need to be managed, wrapped up, and kept for bigger, more important games. We may have got a diamond for free, but it would be wise to insure it, and his backup should be picked wisely with this in mind.
There’s certainly an element of risk in this signing, but for fans, it’s brilliant to see him back. Players who grew up through the club, or indeed supported the team, offer something unique, a different flavour from your average import. As if they somehow bring us closer to it. It makes the club seem evergreen, self-perpetuating, or renewable. It speaks loudly to the childish scenarios of pulling on the jersey and scoring a last-minute winner.
A local lad who trod the same streets as us and shares the same pitch as our heroes. A dream fulfilled vicariously.
Welcome home, KT(63).