HERO’S RETURN FOR TIERNEY

Returning hero …Kieran Tierney

Phil Gordon
1 Sep 2025 - World Soccer

Kieran Tierney’s second Celtic debut, at home to St Mirren on the first day of the Scottish Premiership season, with a standing ovation from 60,000 fans, endorsed the 28-year-old’s decision to return after six years at Arsenal.

Celtic received £25 million for Tierney in 2019 and, six years later, he returned as a free agent after turning down English and European suitors, including Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

“I thought it was now or never, in terms of coming back to Celtic,” Tierney admitted. “If I hadn’t come back now, and signed somewhere else, I wouldn’t want to come back at 33, when I had slowed down. I am in a good place just now. I am still young and feel I have lot to achieve and a lot to give.”

Unsurprisingly, Celtic begin the new season as strong favourites to defend their crown – and Tierney’s experience will be vital in that.

“I learned a lot at Arsenal and the loan at Real Sociedad. I will definitely try to pass that onto the younger boys at Celtic – in the way Scott Brown, Charlie Mulgew and Mikael Lustig did with me in my first spell.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made it clear that Tierney would “earn a lot more money” playing in England or Europe and the former Leicester City coach played an integral role in Tierney’s return. “The manager always kept in touch with me. He texts me in the good times and the bad, throughout my career. I loved my time working under him. We were successful and he got the best out of me.”

Tierney won eight trophies in his first spell at Celtic, including four league titles, and looks set to add to that trophy haul. “You don’t come home at 28 and think about going elsewhere again,” he said. “I’ve signed a long-term deal and I see myself being here for the rest of my career.”