CELTIC hero John Hartson believes Kieran Tierney needs to accept his season is over.
The Hoops left-back failed to make the squad for the goalless draw against Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday, as CQN reported yesterday.
Tierney has been hit by injury in this campaign while his replacement, Emilio Izaguirre, has made 18 appearances in what could be his last season as a Parkhead player with the 32-year-old Honduran’s contract expiring in the summer.
Fans’ favourite KT missed 15 successive matches before coming back in the 4-1 win over Motherwell on February 24. However, he was clearly struggling in the 2-1 success over Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox team last month and had to admit defeat when he limped off in the 73rd minute.
He missed the following 2-0 victory over St Mirren in Paisley with Izaguirre again in the No.3 position as he was in Edinburgh at the weekend in the champions’ third goalless draw in seven Premiership outings.
Former Welsh international striker Hartson is now calling for KT to call it a day for this term and concentrate on getting fully fit for the next testing term.
ON THE BALL…Kieran Tierney takes on Daniel Candeias in last month’s 2-1 derby win.
He also reckons the 21-year-old raiding defender can play well into his thirties if he takes care of himself.
Hartson, speaking in the Evening Times, said: “Kieran Tierney is such a huge player for Celtic, the main man really, so I understand that they will be desperate to get him onto the pitch whenever they can.
“With Neil Lennon admitting at the weekend, though, that he may have to go under the knife to sort out the discomfort in his pelvis, it is only right now that they wrap him in cotton wool and make sure he is fit and raring to go for next season.
“I was in a similar position to Kieran when I was a young, having played about 150 games by the time I was his age, too, so I know the rigours that come with that and the effect it can have on your body at such a young age.
“He attacks every game and every training session at 100 per cent and he is the type of boy who would run through a brick wall just to play for Celtic, but, for his own good, it is time for him to have a break.
“He can be a top player well into his thirties if handled correctly and he has to think about the long term.”
