Tierney’s an international treasure after just four caps
Gord declares his faith in utility sensation Kieran
Kieran Tierney only has four caps but in the mind of his manager he’s already a national treasure.
In a throwback to the halcyon days of legendary full-backs Danny McGrain and Sandy Jardine, Gordon Strachan insists there’s no job too tough for the 20-year- old Celtic defender after playing him in three slots across his back four.
And as the war to keep Scotland’s World Cup qualification campaign intact reaches two of its final four battles in Lithuania this week then at home to Malta, the national boss insists he already has ultimate faith in Tierney to lead from the rear.
Strachan said: “We should be proud of him. He is a player, make no mistake.
“What I mean by that is sometimes you say someone is a footballer but they can only play in football games.
“Kieran can play in anything, anywhere, any time, any condition – he is a player. I’ve played him in three different positions already – left-back, right-back and left centrehalf against England – and I have total confidence in him.
“Some people you move to other positions and they just crumble. I know that for a fact. But not him – he takes it on.
“Because I’ve got to know him I always thought, ‘He’ll be fine’. When you asked him to do something, he was just, ‘Aw aye, not a problem’.
“He might privately have been thinking, ‘Oh Jesus…’
“But we knew – especially playing him at centre- back – we had to find someone who was willing to go and find people, get up against them and back themselves one for one. He has all of that.
“And he learned the role. He’s doing us a favour, doing the team a favour – but you’re gauged on your performance and he’s not scared of that.
“He’ll back himself everywhere against anyone, which is fantastic. He’s a special player.”
It’s 40 years since McGrain graced the Hoops on one side and Scotland on the other with Rangers icon Jardine recast in the role by Liverpool’s new star-in-the-making Andy Robertson.
And without resorting to hyperbole, Strachan said: “They were world class, to be fair. But it’s similar here – we have two top, top players.
“And sure, there’s youth about Tierney. But if you watch him his decision-making is great.
“There’s never youthful stupidity in anything he does. He never slashes a ball away, never panics, never dives into a daft tackle or hits a ball he only hopes is going to get there.
“Everything points towards him having an older head.”
And unlike most of the 20-yearold’s contemporaries, there’s nothing Tierney loves more than a tackle.
Strachan said: “He’s one of those players wide men in particular look
Kieran can play in anything, anywhere, any time, any condition – he is a player. I’ve played him in three different positions already – left-back, right-back and left centre-half against England – and I have total confidence in him
at and probably think, ‘Ach, I’d rather be somewhere else….’
“And that’s why he can play centre-half as well. You talk about the left- back who bombs on – a bombing- on left-back couldn’t do what Tierney did against England.
“He backs himself. He’s one of the few defenders who looks at a one v one situation and thinks, ‘ I’m not really needing any help here, I’ll look after him…’ He can do both jobs.”
Despite the ful l- back’s age, Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers has already handed Tierney the captain’s armband this campaign when Scott Brown was suspended.
And twice this season he has been the elder statesman of their back four, just two months on from the end of his teenage years.
He’s everything a manager dreams of in terms of attitude and Strachan insists you’re never too young to be a role model.
The Scotland boss said: “I saw him against Patrick Thistle and he was magnificent. The best way you can learn in the game is getting good role models.
“Celtic have just got one back in there in Shaun Maloney, taking him back to be a coach. You cannot get better than thatthat, thoughthough. They’re great role models and Celtic should be really proud of him.
“All our coaches talk about these guys and how well they get on with their jobs.”
However, Tierney is not the only one in the national squad with a work ethic. In fact, Strachan believes Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser could well be the man to inherit Maloney’s mantle.
He said: “Everything about him reminds me of Shaun – the way he talks about football, the fact he wants to be a good team-mate, the fact he’s always working. You always hear hearplayersmoantheydidn’tgetaplayers moan they didn’t get a chance – aye you did, you got a chance every time I walked through the door. And at Celtic I used to see Shaun, Gary Caldwell, Stephen McManus, Aiden McGeady all in the gym at half-past eight working.
“Ryan is in that mould. He has a gift and wants to be the best – but they never want to let anyone down either.”
With the feelgood factor of that breathless 2-2 draw with England in June lingering, Strachan insists this is a different Scotland side facing Lithuania in Vilnius on Friday from the one that needed James McArthur’s last-minute equaliser to salvage a point at Hampden almost 11 months ago.
On the other hand, he doesn’t expect much that’s different from Edgaras Jankauskas’ side.
He said: “They’ll play the same way. They take great pride in playing for their country as it’s a small, close-knit group of players there.
“It’s like a club side. Sometimes it’s beneficial not having a big squad – you don’t have too many worries, you just move the players about. That’s where they get their strength and they are no mugs either.
“The game here surprised me given how physical it got. It was end to end that day.
“Defensively we weren’t too bad and had chances. We had attacking players who we thought would have executed better finishes or better passes. But on the night we weren’t at our best.
“There are differences now. Mark McGhee and I had a look recently at the team that started that night.
“There’s a different dynamic to the squad now due to certain things that have happened elsewhere.”