Kieran Tierney

he spoke to the Celtic website about the call up.


Kieran Tierney has thanked Scotland manager Gordon Strachan for including him in the national team squad for the upcoming friendly against Denmark and said he hopes to repay the former Celtic manager's faith.
After a remarkable season so far at the champions that has seen him feature 23 times for Ronny Deila’s side in both domestic competition and in Europe, 18-year-old Tierney has been rewarded with his first call-up to the national team and will join up with the senior squad at the end of March as Scotland prepare to take on the Czech Republic and the Danes in a friendly double-header.
In an exclusive interview with the official Celtic website the Hoops youngster said he was grateful for the recognition from the Scotland manager and said he hopes to prove his worth if given the chance to shine.
“I’m surprised,” he said. “I didn’t expect it but I’m very grateful for Gordon giving me the call-up. He’s put a great amount of trust in me to put an 18-year-old in the national squad so I just hope to repay him if he plays me.
“The old saying is if you’re good enough you’re old enough so hopefully I can prove that.
“I might go away and not play but the fact that the manager has recognised me is great. From Under-14 all the way up I was never selected for Scotland then I got a few friendlies for U-19s and played in Euro qualifiers.
“At the same time I’ve been playing first-team football for Celtic at the top of the table and played in Europe in massive games. It’s crazy when you’re 18 and to be included in the first team is brilliant.”
Tierney will join fellow Celts Scott Brown, Charlie Mulgrew, James Forrest, Craig Gordon and Leigh Griffiths when he meets up with the squad at the end of the month and said having his Hoops team-mates alongside him will help him settle in.
There will also be a familiar face in the form of Oliver Burke of Nottingham Forest, who has impressed south of the border and played alongside Tierney in Scotland’s Under-19 team.
“I’m with Broony and the boys every day so it’ll be the same when I go away but Oliver Burke is in the same squad as me for the Denmark game and he was with me in the U-19 campaign for the Euros so I know him,” he added.
“He’s doing well for Nottingham Forrest, playing well and it’s a good standard there.
“It shows the manager is looking at young talent. Maybe if it was a European qualifier I wouldn’t be there, but with friendlies he wants to get to know his players.
“It’s great. I’ve been made-up with this season at Celtic so far but international football is a bonus.
“It’ll be different in a lot of ways from Celtic because it’ll be different training, a different manager, staff, ways of playing – even a different training kit – but I know it’ll be a great standard and I realise it’s a great achievement. My family will be delighted.
“When I was younger I always dreamed of playing for Celtic but it’s a massive bonus to play for Scotland and it is a great honour.”
Scotland take on the Czech Republic on March 24 in Prague and Denmark at Hampden on March 29.

 

What a year for the lad.

Shame he's no a RB as he has a great player in Robertson on front of him. Shinnie's a left back too, typical Scotland Lol, can't make an centre half or RB for * but have lads like Tierney and Shinnie as back up for one position.

 

Anyone know if he has an Irish grandparent? We could do with a quality left back for the Euros.

 

* off use already took mcgeady and mcarthy

 

Good Interview. Great Asset for the Club

 

2 of the best scottish players of the last ten years aswell :smiley-laughing002:

 

so they both approached ireland ?

 

McGeady might as well not even be there half the * time, I'd gladly swap yous him for Tierney. Then we can have Tierney left back and Brady LM.

 

Why dont use see if the superstar Lee wallace has an irish granda ? Hes the best lb in the world if some people are to be believed

 

Actually they didn't, Hamilton and McCarthy both contacted SFA to say Ireland were showing an interest and they had to act if they didn't want to lose the player only to be told "we give no indication if he'll ever get near a squad so should take the opportunity with Ireland". The rest, is indeed history.....

 

Tbf, we wouldn't be going to the Euros without McGeady.

 

Don't be greedy :icon_mrgreen:

 

Its there choice but i would never chose to play for anyone other than Scotland if i was born and educated there. Saying that now as a man whose nearly 30 right enough but looking back when a was 15 i probably would have chosen ireland

 

No one forced either to play for Ireland but doubt it would have happened had they not been approached directly.

McGeady IMO would have played for Wales if it was on offer. He played in Scotland youth squads but didn't want to wait the other year or so to be eligible at 16.

McCarthy was let down by the Scotland set up. Although you'd expect a player to wait longer, Scotland scouts were constsntly asked to come to games and declined. Was a regular at 15 but this was a time when that didn't get you in a Scotland under a squad ahead of Celtic or Rangers youth players. By accounts he wanted to play for us. Think it was Billy Reid who said James was frustrated and BR had made Scotland aware of that.

2 best Scottish players of the last 10-15 years by a country mile and the national team would be a different, more successful entity with them. Prob have qualified for a major tourney.

Would like to say lesson learned but we'll see. Seems we are better at scouting English players than those under our noses.

We Tierney's thread is * now, you know. Prepare for several pages McGeady/McCarthy debate and anti-Scotland national team posts

 

Was he not born on the Isle of man? So could choose any of the British Isles and the Republic.

 

Shame he's not Irish, indeed.

As it is, hope this doesn't mean he'll start playing too many games. He's still at a very tender age. Makes the argument for keeping Izzy even stronger.

 

Scott Brown on KT

SB: He works so hard in training day in, day out & he’s got a great attitude.For the last three or four months he’s been exceptional for us.

SB: Hopefully he gets a chance against Denmark and can show the manager what he can do, because we see what he does every day in training.

SB: His attitude is right up there. He’s still learning the game, he’s still a young kid but he’s thriving off every minute of it.