TALKING CELTIC
PARTING is such sweet sorrow. Even before this summer’s club v country issues regarding Patrick Roberts and his availability for Celtic’s William Hill Scottish Cup final and the England under-20 squad, there had been a received wisdom the winger will return to his parent club this summer.
The teenager has been onloan from Manchester City since last January with his influence on display again during the weekend win over Rangers at Hampden that has taken Celtic within one game of landing only the fourth Treble in the club’s history.
Kieran Tierney and Roberts have struck up a relationship off the park as well as on it, with the bromance between the pair the cause of various jokes among the Hoops support.
While Tierney would love to see his mate prolong his stay in Glasgow, he believes between now and the end of the season Celtic should be content to simply get the most out of the player.
“He has been brilliant for us and you saw what he brought to the game on Sunday,” said Tierney. “He is a good teammate and a good mate of mine but you have to trust him to do what he is best for his career.
“That is something that he needs to decide for himself. Obviously I would love it if he stayed on here but that is really nothing to do with me.
“He needs to make that decision himself, but he has had a really successful loan spell here and I know how much he has enjoyed it.
“I think you can see why he has that price tag around his neck at such a young age. His technique and his movement is excellent and he has contributed so much this season.
“I don’t know what will happen next because that is up to Patrick and to the club, but hopefully there will be a few more afternoons like Sunday’s to come.”
CELTIC are up against Rangers for the sixth and final time this season on Saturday afternoon.
The Parkhead side are unbeaten domestically across the board this term. Few would expect Brendan Rodgers to allow his squad to ease up as they speed their way into the history books and Tierney has confirmed the hunger within the Hoops dressing room to go and write their name into the fabric of the club.
“To be honest, I have actually tried to not think about it,” said Tierney. “It sounds boring but to me you just need to think about the game coming up and focus on that. Everything else takes care of itself.
“We know we are getting towards the end of the season and we all want to bring success to the club. But the most important thing is that we keep winning games and the best way to do that is by concentrating on one game at a time.”
In years gone by, the barometer of a youngster’s success was not measured in their inaugural season but in the campaign that followed on its heels.
In that respect, Tierney could allow himself a sense of satisfaction as he reflects that he has solidly built on what he achieved last term at Celtic.
The frontrunner to claim the SPFA Young Player of the Year award for the second season in a row after a campaign in which he has emphatically made himself one of the first names on the team-sheet, Tierney remains nonplussed by any adulation.
“I don’t think anything like thath i is f for me to say or comment on,” he remarked. “I try not to listen too much to what other people say about performances or anything like that. The most important people are your manager, coaches and team-mates.
“I try to focus on my game, but at this stage I still think it is about working as hard as I can. I try to treat every training session the same. I give my all and that is the way I like to play.
“I have enjoyed the season and I feel like I am learning all the time, especially after getting the chance to play in the group stages of t he Champions League.
“But I still think there is a lot for me to work on. I don’t ever get carried away with people saying this or that. I just work hard and train hard.”
Tierney could be in line for a break following Saturday’s game at Ibrox after Rodgers intimated he would rest those whoh will ill feature in international duty into June.
TH E left - back, though , believes he got ample rest during the months he spent sidelined in the winter and is desperate to play until the end of the season.
“It is down to the manager but the way I feel just now, I would be happy to play on,” said Tierney. “I feel good. I feel fit and having been out for what felt like a long time, I am loving being back in.
“It feels amazing knowing that we have won two trophies and we are in the final of the Scottish Cup. It would be nice to go into that game on the back of some more good performances in the league.”
He is a good mate. You have to trust him to do what is best for his career