Kieran Tierney: Celtic defender among best left-backs in UK - John Kennedy
Last updated on .From the section Football
Celtic defender Kieran Tierney is "up there with the top left-backs" in Britain at the moment, says the club's first-team coach John Kennedy.
Tierney captained the team and scored a stunning long-range goal in Tuesday's 5-0 Scottish League Cup rout of Kilmarnock - a game in which he was deployed at centre-back.
The 20-year-old has also featured at right-back for Scotland.
"He can play wherever. He's a top player," said Kennedy.
"He still has improvement in him and he realises that himself. Physically he'll fill out more, technically he'll get better and as he plays more games tactically he'll become much more aware.
"For a young player he's done very well. He's got a lot of experience behind him now and you've just got to keep building on that.
"He's certainly up there with the top left-backs in the country [Britain]."
Having established himself in the first team as a young defender in his own playing career at Parkhead, Kennedy has been impressed with the way Tierney has handled the rise from youth team player to first-team stalwart.
He believes Tierney could operate effectively at centre-back - where manager Brendan Rodgers selected him against Kilmarnock - or at right-back, where Scotland boss Gordon Strachan used him in the World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in March.
"He can do that just now," Kennedy said. "It comes down to Brendan [Rodgers] and Gordon [Strachan] with Scotland, It's trust, that's all it is.
"You have a young player there who has 100% trust from their manager, wherever he plays on the pitch.
"Kieran has that mindset to try to develop and get better all the time - and he'll never change.
"I'd imagine when Kieran's 30 years old he'll still be the same guy, still be giving everything he's got every day and after games wanting to know what he can do better. That's the kind of guy he is."
Meanwhile, Kennedy says Celtic will have to bide their time in their pursuit of Patrick Roberts.
The Scottish Premiership champions want to bring back the Manchester City winger, who previously enjoyed an 18-month loan spell at Celtic Park.
"We just have to be patient on it," Kennedy explained. "Patrick had a fantastic time here, a lot of admiration for him from our end, but Manchester City have him under contract.
"Patrick has to be involved in that decision as well so we've just got to be patient and see if something materialises. But at the moment nothing has really happened on that."
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Wonderful talent and future Scotland and Celtic Talent
The top English teams are all now average European teams. Outside the top few teams the quality starts slumping fast.
Celtic would have no issues doing an OK job in the premier league. With equal income Celtic would attract better players than most of the league and improve fast.
If Celtic is such a low club how come they beat Sunderland 5-0?
Too good for the £PL. If he goes anywhere it would be to a team capable of winning the champions league (ie. Spain or Germany)
He is playing for his boyhood club, he will win many many trophies for us, he will captain us one day and probably his national team too. Play at the very top level (champions league)
I dont think he will ever leave, Celtic is in his blood
"If he goes south he'll end up like the rest of them at a mid to lower EPL team and then come running home with his tail between his legs"
Ever heard of a fellow called Virgil Van Dijk?
Tierney was one of the best performers for Scotland against England and that was playing out of position. Liverpool have just paid £8M plus for a Scottish left back that is not a good as Kieran with no disrespect to Andrew Robertson
There is no doubt an English club will make a move for him sooner or later for what I can see will be a record breaking fee for a Scottish player.
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Why are some fans from down south so obsessed with the inferior Scottish Premiership? Really baffles me that one.
As has already been said, one of the best full backs in the game and versatile and very confident in his own ability.
EPL plastic fans and journos have even used that same nonsensical, garbage argument against Messi, questioning whether he could cut it in the amazing league where journeymen like Jamie Vardy can rip it up in any given season. Since when did 'doing it away at Stoke' become the marker for proving you're a top class player? Oh that's right. Never.