KIERAN TIERNEY will be hoping for a massive change of luck when he seals his return to Celtic on July 1.
The one-time Hoops fans’ favourite is on his way back after an interval of six years following his then-record £25million switch to Arsenal in the summer of 2019.
Tierney, 28, has already bade a classy farewell to the London club’s supporters, as CQN reported last week, and is looking to rekindle his adventure with his boyhood heroes for the next four years of his contract.
The defender is eager to get restarted, but he has already got off to a false start with his two competitive games in Glasgow in 2025.
BLUE BHOY…Kieran Tierney leaves the field after 68 minutes of his 50th Scotland appearance, a 3-1 loss to Iceland. Steve Clarke motions in the defender’s direction.
Unusually, Tierney, a serial winner in his previous years at the Hoops with eight honours, including four successive titles, has sampled defeat on both occasions playing for Scotland at Hampden.
He lined up against Greece in the second leg of the UEFA Nation League play-off at the national stadium on March 23 with Steve Clarke’s men 1-0 ahead after the first game in Athens.
On this occasion, the Scots were on the receiving end of a humiliating 3-0 reverse and Tierney was involved all the way through the painful experience.
And the back-four operator didn’t get much chance to celebrate his 50th international cap last week as he lasted 68 minutes of the embarrassing 3-1 flop against Iceland in a friendly.
Thankfully, KT’s last appearance at Scottish football’s mecca in the green-and-white hoops was a happier occasion as he played in a 3-0 Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Aberdeen on April 14 2019.
Unfortunately, groin surgery kept him out the showpiece occasion on the iconic date of May 25 when a double from Odsonne Edouard gave Neil Lennon’s side a 2-1 win over Hearts to seal a phenomenal treble treble.
HAPPIER TIMES AT HAMPDEN…Kieran Tierney leads the victory parade after his last Celtic appearance in the national stadium, a 3-0 Scottish Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen in April 2019. He missed the 2-1 trophy victory over Hearts the following month through injury.
Tierney also enjoyed his last Final at the ground when Celtic beat Aberdeen 1-0 with a Ryan Christie strike in the League Cup showdown on December 2 2018.
The popular Celt, who missed 22 games during that season with hamstring and groin problems, left for the Gunners in August the following year.
Tierney is just 22 days from picking up where he left off at Parkhead – and getting ready to savour that first triumph in Glasgow this year!
In the meantime, injury has forced the player to withdraw from the Scotland squad for this evening’s friendly in Liechtenstein.
Napoli’s title-winning hero Scott McTominay, who limped off in the second-half against Iceland, has also pulled out with a fitness issue.
HAMPDEN HORROR SHOW…debutant keeper Cieran Slicker looks on as Iceland celebrate No.3.
Boss Clarke hasn’t called in replacements for the double-act, but there has been an SOS for another keeper after Angus Gunn, who was helped off early at Hampden on Friday night, was ruled out.
Ross Doohan, reported to be heading back to the champions after leaving Aberdeen at the end of his terms, and Bournemouth teenager Callan McKenna got the nod to join the squad.
Clarke is desperate for cover in the No.1 position after debutant Cieran Slicker, of Ipswich Town, had a howler in the loss to Iceland.
Tonight’s kick-off in Vaduz is 5pm.
