KIERAN TIERNEY is drawing on his time at Celtic as he and the Arsenal squad sit top of the English Premier League.
The former hoops defender hasn’t been involved in the early going of the season after picking up an injury, but as he ramps up to make a full return, he wants to help the London club stay top of the league.
“You want to stay (at the top) of course, I’ve got a bit of experience at Celtic when we were expected to be at the top and stay on the top as well, so it is familiar in that way for me that the pressure is on you to stay there. The other teams are chasing you, and we want to keep that going as long as we can.” Kieran told the Club’s Website.
Arsenal have surprised a lot of people by making a very strong start to the season. Nine games in, they’re top of the pile, but they know it’s going to be a tough slog to stay there.
Kieran faces a struggle to get back into a winning Arsenal team. The manager, Mikel Arteta will not want to change things while they’re winning. The former Celtic invincible knows he needs to wait for his chance again.
He added: “It’s been tough. I missed pre-season coming back from an injury, and the first game I played in was the Palace one – that was the first week of training that I had.
“I’ve just been trying to get minutes here and there so it’s been a tough start, but whether I’m first, second or third-choice, I’m just going to keep working hard and see where it takes me.
“I wouldn’t say (competition) motivates me more, as whether I’m the only left-back or there’s five left-backs, I’m still motivated to play and to do well. Day-to-day, nothing changes in my life; if I’m playing or not I’m just working as hard as I possibly can. I train hard, and if the manager calls on me, I’m ready.
“I want to play every game possible, when you don’t play like all footballers, you’re disappointed but when you get your chance, you just need to make sure you go and take it.”
The only thing thats held Kieran back since moving down south is injuries. He hasn’t been able to keep fit throughout a season. Towards the end of Tierney’s Celtic career, the player had struggles with his hip.
The Arsenal offer was too good to turn down for the club and the player. The Celtic fan and left-back remains Celtic’s most expensive export. Maybe one day we’ll see him in the Hoops again, but we wish him all the best for the season and hope he can contribute to a memorable year for his current club, Arsenal.
