Tierney reveals struggles with homesickness after leaving Celtic for Arsenal
KIERAN TIERNEY has revealed that he struggled with mental-health issues after he left Celtic to join Arsenal. The Scotland international has established himself as one of the best left-backs in the English Premier League since moving to London in 2019. Speaking in Amazon’s new All or Nothing: Arsenal documentary, however, the 25-year-old admits to suffering from crippling homesickness after leaving his Lanarkshire home for the first time and describes the pain of losing close friends to suicide. ‘It was hard to start with,’ admitted Tierney. ‘I was really struggling. Homesickness was terrible to start with. ‘Outside training you had a lot of time to think. I’m not saying I was ever in a bad, bad place where I was suicidal. But my friends have been. Two or three of them have committed suicide, lost their life.’
New statistics show that Glasgow endured the highest level of suicides in Scotland over the past five years, despite rates reducing in the country overall. Revealing how he had been personally affected by the high rates amongst young men in the west of Scotland, Tierney added: ‘You’re with these people and you don’t know a thing. They’ve not spoken. So I think I feel a certain responsibility to try and help as much as I can because I kind of know how it feels to be in a certain place.’ Tierney broke into the Celtic first team in 2015, establishing himself as a key player with the club and then with Scotland. His £25million move to Arsenal in 2019 shattered the Scottish record transfer fee, but forced the former Parkhead star to leave home and stand on his own two feet. Now settled, Tierney lives with Gunners chief cook and friend Johnny McCallum. ‘He can get quite angry sometimes if we get beat, but that’s just passion for you,’ said Tierney of his pal. ‘That’s what he cares about so I stay out his way. Johnny knows if I’m angry, he leaves the food and just bolts.’ lAll or Nothing: Arsenal is available on Amazon Prime from August 4.