Celtic Could Be Missing a Trick With Kieran Tierney — Scotland Have Shown Us Another Option

I watched Kieran Tierney play for Scotland against North Macedonia and couldn’t help thinking whether Celtic are missing an opportunity with him.

Under Sebastian Pocognoli, Scotland have been using a back three, with Tierney operating as the left-sided centre-back.

And I actually think there is a serious argument for Celtic to consider doing exactly the same.

We all know what Tierney offers going forward. His overlapping runs, delivery and ability to get up and down the left-hand side have been part of his game for years.

But I don’t think we give enough attention to what he could offer in the middle of our defence.

Tierney is an excellent defender. He is aggressive in the challenge, reads danger well and, despite not being the tallest player, is very good in the air.

His heading ability is something I would like to see Celtic make better use of. He competes well, attacks the ball and is comfortable defending crosses. Those are qualities we have sometimes lacked when opponents put pressure on our back line.

Then there is his ability on the ball.

Tierney is comfortable receiving possession under pressure, carrying it forward and finding passes into midfield. He doesn’t simply clear his lines and hope for the best. He can help us build attacks from deeper positions.

Imagine having him alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers and bringing in another left-back.

It would give us a left-footed defender who can step into midfield, bring the ball out and provide some genuine quality in possession.

It could also allow Tierney to play a slightly different role without losing his attacking influence. He could be providing the width against Scottish dross, he could make runs forward with the ball out of defence and support attacks when the opportunity presents itself.

I’m not suggesting we abandon using him at left-back altogether. But I do think we should be exploring this option, particularly when we consider some of the defensive problems we’ve had this season.

Scotland have shown us another side of Tierney’s game, and I would love to see Martin O’Neill experiment with it at Celtic.

We keep talking about needing another centre-back, but perhaps we already have a player who could offer us something different in that position.

Tierney has the experience, defensive qualities and technical ability to make it work.

Are we getting the most out of him by simply using him as a traditional left-back?

I’m not convinced we are.