Kieran Tierney can become a household name for Celtic fans

Kieran Tierney might not be a household name for all Celtic fans just yet, but the teenager has certainly made an impression on Ronny Deila since he took over last summer.

The 18-year-old showcased his talent on Flag Day for the Hoops at left-back, looking settled in the team. In a 2-0 win over Ross County, Deila turned to Tierney to start just his second competitive game for Celtic, as Charlie Mulgrew sat out through injury and Emilio Izaguirre was suspended.

Deila spoke about Tierney’s performance and his overall development, as reported by the Evening Times.

He has a great attitude.

He needs to work on his stamina, but he is a determined player and he is also a player who is very aware of what is going on all around him at times which is very important. His touch and his technique will improve as he plays more games but he is a very good young player and it was good for him to play.

Tierney’s first competitive appearance came against St. Johnstone back in May. For an hour against Ross County, he worked tirelessly up and down the line, providing width for the Celtic attack and looking assured in defence.

His emergence from the youth team could prove to be a long-term solution for Celtic, rather than having to enter the transfer market to sign a new left-back. Having worked his way through the ranks at Celtic and winning the Scottish Youth Cup final in a 5-2 win over Rangers in May, Tierney will be looking to nail down a starting role in years to come. The young Scot would be a timely replacement for the 29-year-old Honduran – a player Deila seems keen to replace.

It’s almost a fairy-tale story for Tierney to play for his boyhood club that he grew up watching and supporting.

All my family would be here anyway, die-hard Celtic fans all of us, so it was brilliant.

As soon as you support Celtic, it’s what you dream of. Growing up, I supported them all the way through and from the age of seven it’s been what I aimed for.

I was on the bench here against Ross County in December. It was the first time I’d been on the bench, and the day after I broke my leg in training. I worked hard to come back from that. Today just makes it brilliant.

As far as career highlights go, Tierney’s ‘shot’ from his own penalty area against the Hearts development squad is certainly going in the career highlight reel when it’s all said and done.