KIERAN TIERNEY has revealed that he is targeting a return to action early in the New Year after a successful operation on his ankle.
The talented teenager has been a first choice at left back for the past 18 months before suffering the injury in training just before Celtic’s trip to Aberdeen. Ironically Brendan Rodgers rested the player for the preceding match away to Ross County.
Speaking today at Celtic FC Foundation’s involvement in the Inspiring Sports project at Ravenscraig in Motherwell Tierney talked about the injury and his hopes for a speedy comeback to first team action.
“It was just ankle ligament damage from an accident in training,” he revealed. “It was nobody’s fault, I just went over on my ankle so it’s disappointing but I’ll get on with it.
“The operation went well. I broke my leg two years ago and it was the same surgeon that did it so I had good faith in him. Recovery has gone well so far. There’s not much I can do just now, just a bit of upper body, but I’m just looking forward to getting off these crutches and be out and start running again.
“Ideal time would be after New Year, that’d be a another half-season for me.”
Tierney seems to be a quick healer. He made his first team debut in April 2015 after suffering a leg break in December 2014. And since breaking into the first team under Ronny Deila’s guidance, there has been no stopping the young Celt.
Brendan Rodgers has praised him highly since coming to the club in May and Scotland manager Gordon Strachan’s once crumb of comfort in the recent 3-0 loss away to Slovakia was the outstanding performance of the Celtic left back.
“It’s just the way it happens in football, especially the way I go into tackles, so I know I’m going to get injuries sometimes and it’s just about how you deal with it,” Tierney said.
“I think that says a lot about your character if you can come back from something like this.
“I’m confident, I’ll work hard and I have the best physios in the land working with me so I’m grateful for them.”
