Biography

Kieran Tierney

Scottish Footballer
Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney (Photo: Adidas)

Kieran Tierney is a Scottish footballer who plays as a defender for Arsenal.

Kieran Tierney

• Date of birth: 5 June 1997
• Age: 25 years old
• Place of birth: Douglas, Isle of Man
• Nationality: Scottish
• Position: Defender
• Height: 178cm / 5ft 10ins
• Weight: 70kg / 154lbs
• Wages: £75,000 per week (Estimated)

• Instagram: @kierantierney
• Twitter: @kierantierney1

The 25-year-old defender started his career at Scottish side Celtic after progressing through their youth teams.

He won four SPL titles with Celtic before earning a transfer to Premier League side Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

Tierney won some silverware in his first season at the north London club, helping Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side to win the FA Cup in the 2019-20 season.

He represented Scotland at Under-18 and Under-19 level before making his international debut for the senior team in 2016.

So, what do we know about Tierney’s journey towards becoming the impressive left-back he is today? This is his story.

Early Life, Parents And Upbringing

Kieran Tierney was born on 5 June 1997 on the Isle of Man to Scottish parents. His family moved to Wishaw in Scotland when he was 10 months old.

“That’s where I was born,” Tierney said of the Isle of Man. “It’s a strange one, but it’s one I’m proud of. I go back to visit quite a lot and I get a lot of support from people on the island.”

Tierney was a boyhood Celtic supporter and he joined their youth-team set-up when he was just seven years old. He was a season ticket holder at the Scottish club.

He attended Motherwell schools St Brendan’s RC Primary and Our Lady’s High, before joining St Ninian’s High School, Kirkintilloch, which has a development partnership with Celtic.

Growing up as a Celtic fan, Tierney has revealed that his boyhood idol was former Guinea and Hoops defender Bobo Balde. “I just loved the way he played,” explains Tierney. “He didn’t take any nonsense. Defensively, he was absolutely brilliant and I’ve always been a defender.”

Celtic

Tierney signed for Celtic when he was just seven years old and steadily progressed through the ranks at the Scottish club.

He made his first-team debut for Celtic as a 17-year-old on 2 August 2014, when he came on as a substitute in a 6-1 pre-season friendly defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in Helsinki, Finland.

Tierney admitted that making his first appearance for the club he had supported all his life was a proud moment for him.

“It was a dream come true,” explained Tierney. “I can’t explain it better than that, but it was also such a shame about the result.

“Before I came on, I wasn’t even thinking about the score. All I had in my head was that I was playing for the team that I’ve always loved and supported and all I wanted to do was work hard.

“I just heard the shout for me to warm up but I just froze. I didn’t know what to feel, it was just unbelievable. When you’re a wee boy, this is what you dream of. It’s been my life’s ambition to play for Celtic and it’s just happened.”

Tierney’s first competitive appearance for Celtic came on 22 April 2015, when he was introduced as a substitute in a Scottish Premiership game against Dundee.

He then enjoyed a strong 2015-16 season, earning regular appearances at left-back and helping Celtic to win the SPL title.

Aged 19, Tierney was rewarded with a new five-year contract with Celtic in June 2016, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2021.

“I’m obviously delighted to be here, my future is only here,” said Tierney upon signing his new deal. “Last year was my breakthrough season so I need to prove myself again this season and hold down my place.

“But it’s been crazy. I only signed a four-year deal 10 or 11 months ago, so getting a new deal already is great.”

Tierney continued his fine form in the following three seasons at Celtic, making more than 20 appearances in the league in each of the 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns, and helping the Hoops to win the title in each of those seasons.

Kieran Tierney

Kieran Tierney (Photo: Arsenal Media / YouTube / Screengrab)

His excellent form had begun attracting interest from Premier League clubs, and a move to Arsenal soon beckoned.

Arsenal

Following plenty of speculation, Tierney made the difficult decision to leave his boyhood club and join Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

The deal was confirmed on 8 August 2019, with Tierney signing a long-term deal with the north London club. The transfer fee was widely reported to be a Scottish record £25m.

The decision to leave Celtic was clearly a tough one for Tierney, who opened up on the move following the confirmation of the transfer.

“It’s a hard decision to leave a club that you love so much. People need to know that,” Tierney said at the time.

Tierney joined Arsenal under Spanish head coach Unai Emery, who was delighted to see the Scottish full-back arrive at The Emirates.

“We’re delighted Kieran is joining us,” said Emery at the time. “He’s a very talented player who will continue to improve. He increases our options defensively and I look forward to him joining our group.”

Tierney made his first-team debut for Arsenal on 24 September 2019 in a 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the League Cup, playing 77 minutes of the clash.

Kieran Tierney

Kieran Tierney (Photo: Arsenal Media / YouTube / Screengrab)

His first appearance in the Premier League followed on 27 October 2019, when he featured in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

With Emery having been sacked and replaced by Mikel Arteta in December 2019, Tierney notched up a total of 15 Premier League appearances in the 2019-20 campaign.

He scored his first goal for Arsenal on 26 July 2019, in a 3–2 win against Watford on the final day of the Premier League season.

Tierney enjoyed his first taste of silverware as an Arsenal player in the 2019-20 season, helping them to win the FA Cup under Arteta. He started the final – a 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea FC at Wembley on 1 August 2020.

The full-back signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal in June 2021 after having made 62 appearances for the Gunners first team. According to the Daily Mirror, Tierney’s new wages were around £75,000 per week.

Arsenal technical director Edu was delighted to see Tierney sign a new deal, saying at the time: “Anyone who has seen him play will recognise very quickly that he is a player of huge ability, but I can tell you that he is also a player with a fantastic attitude and mentality.”

International Career

Tierney represented Scotland at both Under-18 and Under-19 levels.

He made his first senior appearance for Scotland in a friendly game against Denmark on 30 March 2016.

The defender made two appearances for Scotland at Euro 2020, held in the summer of 2021.

Kieran Tierney

Kieran Tierney (Photo: Arsenal Media / YouTube / Screengrab)

Life Away From The Pitch

Tierney has revealed that he enjoys a simple life way from football. Speaking in an interview in 2019, Tierney said: “People say what’s the city [London] like? I have no idea, I’ve never been in. I train, I work hard, I go home and recover and train the next day.

“It is just a simple life and I just put everything into football and all I can to just try and reap the rewards.”

What Have Others Said?

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after Tierney signed his new contract with the club in June 2021: “As manager of the club, speaking on behalf of the coaching staff and the entire staff, it’s a pleasure to work with Kieran. His quality, energy, commitment and professionalism, not only on matchdays, but every day in training are always at such a high level.

“Kieran gives us so much extra strength both defensively and offensively and it’s great to know that he’ll be with us for the long term. Since his move from Celtic, his work ethic and quality has ensured that he is already one of most exciting players in the Premier League and a hugely important part of our team, both on and off the pitch.”

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