The man who once fetched Celtic a reported £25m reminded everyone on the opening night of the Premiership season exactly what Celtic have got on their hands.
Celtic edged a tight opener against a dogged Dundee, and the goal that settled it – Benjamin Nygren’s header at six yards – came from a Kieran Tierney cross. Not for the first time, and not by accident. This was Tierney at his most Tierney: bombing forward, picking out a perfect cross under pressure, and then getting back to do the unglamorous work that keeps opposition attacks honest.
It was a tough night. Dundee came to Paradise with a plan – press hard, stay compact, frustrate the champions – and for long spells in the first half they made it work. Celtic’s chances were slow to arrive. But as the game opened up, Tierney began to impose himself, and when the moment came he delivered it with the kind of quality that reminds you why he was such a painful loss in 2019.
According to BBC Sport Scotland, Tierney had the most shots on target for Celtic despite Kasper Hogh carrying the biggest xG threat, created more chances than any team-mate (four), and delivered eight crosses – the most of any player on the park. Tom English’s verdict on Sportsound cut straight to it: he looked like old Kieran Tierney.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Let’s not pretend this was a one-off. Last season, Tierney registered 12 assists – more than any other Celtic player – and scored six goals from left-back. Only Falkirk’s Calvin Miller, now at Hearts, bettered his assist tally across the entire league. At Celtic, only Daizen Maeda created more big chances. Defensively, only three full-backs in the whole division logged more minutes than a player who, supposedly, was being managed carefully.
Martin O’Neill has been clear about what Tierney and Callum McGregor mean to this club. The Celtic manager said of the pair that they are the backbone of Celtic, and that he is delighted to have them. That is not diplomatic flannel – it reflects the reality of what Celtic would look like without either of them.
Osasuna Can Dream On
Reports emerged on the day of the Dundee fixture that Osasuna have enquired about Tierney, though the same reports made clear that Celtic’s hierarchy have no intention of entertaining offers. With Marcelo Sarrachi back at Boca Juniors and no other senior left-back currently on the books, the club’s squad depth concerns at the position are already real enough without voluntarily shipping out the first-choice man.
Scott Brown said via Sportsound that Kieran is going nowhere, that he loves the football club – and there is no reason to doubt it. Tierney came home for a reason. He is contracted until 2030, he is operating at the top of his powers, and O’Neill has already flagged that cover at left-back is a recruitment priority precisely because he cannot be expected to play every minute. That is not a concern about Tierney’s quality – it is the natural consequence of building a squad around a player this important.
One game in, one narrow win, one moment of genuine class from the man who makes us tick. The title defence is under way. Mon The Hoops.
