MOVE LEFT KT PAINTED AS A REAL TRAITOR
KIERAN TIERNEY has revealed a furious Celtic fan spray-painted ‘Judas’ near his home following his £25million move south to Arsenal.
The Scotland defender’s departure last summer netted the Hoops a club record fee but many supporters felt he was betraying Celtic by leaving before helping them have a crack at nine and 10 in a row.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, Tierney admitted his biggest mistake after the switch south was reading the comments of angry fans on social media.
Tierney said: “It was just sad the way it ended with people turning against me and all that.
“Some people make it out to be what it’s not and it’s not that at all.
“Weeks before, when Arsenal had bid, people were like, ‘You’re a rat if you go, you’re terrible, you’re never a Celtic fan.’
“I’m like, ‘This is breaking my heart reading
BY ALAN MARSHALL this’ and as soon as this gets announced it’s going to blow up.
“And the worst thing I did when it got announced was to go on Twitter.
“There were thousands of tweets, with threats and all sorts.
“When I went home, two days later after signing, there was spray paint on the walls, ‘Judas’ outside my bit.”
Tierney’s transfer was finally completed in August 2019.
When asked whether he had returned since the move to the club he grew up at, Tierney admitted: “No, I’m scared!”
Tierney insisted he wasn’t sure if the move would happen and he started telling friends and family that he was staying put at Parkhead. But just days later was on a plane bound for London.
He said: “Me and Tom Rogic were injured and he was asking if it was happening and I said ‘I don’t think so mate.’”