Tierney would switch for Scots like McGrain

KIERAN TIERNEY admits he would be open to following the lead of Celtic legend Danny McGrain and switching sides for Scotland in a bid to solve the current full-back crisis.

With Alan Hutton having retired from international football and Callum Paterson injured, national coach Gordon Strachan has no natural right-back in his squad to face Canada in Wednesday’s friendly at Easter Road and next Sunday’s World Cup qualifying clash with Slovenia at Hampden.

Back in the ’70s, McGrain moved over to the left to accommodate Rangers’ Sandy Jardine and form one of the best full-back pairings in world football.

Tierney faces competition at left-back from Andy Robertson and Lee Wallace and, although he gives the impression it might take some getting used to, the 19-year-old is relishing it.

‘It can happen,’ he said. ‘It’s not the worst thing. I wouldn’t mind at all. I’d just need to start working on my right foot. I played there in a Nike tournament with the Celtic Under-15s down in England, and we won it. You just need to run down the line, cut in and shoot. But if the guy shows you down the line, I’ve not got much chance.’

Tierney is close to securing his second league winner’s medal with Celtic and looking forward to adding to the two full Scotland caps he currently has in his collection.

It is only 16 months since he was given a call-up to Scotland Under-19s to play in front of tiny crowds in Limerick in a set of European qualifiers.

‘I remember that trip,’ recalled Tierney. ‘It was just brutal. I remember the hotel and the food was so bad. We had chocolate for our pre-match meal one day.

‘That was the only Scotland squad I was in when I was younger. I’d just played a few Europa League games and, for an Under-19, that was great.

‘I hadn’t got picked up by Scotland when I was younger, so when I got the call-up I was delighted.’

Back then, Tierney was deemed almost incapable of dealing physically with two games in a week, but he is now one of the real powerhouses at Celtic.

‘When I started, I was going from Under-20s to the first team, so the standard was higher and I got tired easier,’ he said. ‘From a month or two after that, I learned to play two or three games a week and I’ve just kicked on again.’

Tierney insists, however, that worries over being usurped at club level are driving his desire to finish the season unbeaten and with a domestic Treble.

‘You don’t want to lose or draw any games at all,’ he stated. ‘Even if we go on to win the league in the next couple of weeks, you still don’t want to lose after that.’