Poster boy Tierney hasno time to lap up crowd adulation due to a fear of relentless Rodgers
FOR Kieran Tierney, the Celtic fanatic whose months out injured were spent sitting among paying punters at games, the giant Tifo banner depicting him in roaring form alongside Brendan Rodgers and Scott Brown warranted a lingering look.
On a Champions League night never to be forgotten, however, the 20-year-old did not dare grant himself half a split second to spare a glance. Not, of course, when the Rodgers whistle could blare from the technical area at any moment to demand his attention as one of the club’s biggest 90 minutes of the season was being orchestrated.
Not, naturally, when his total concentration and effort is needed to hare up and down the Celtic left flank. Not when there was a vital first-leg lead to be built up before a potentially daunting trip to Kazakhstan. And not even after Igor Shitov deflected in Leigh Griffiths’ shot in the 89th minute to complete a stunning 5-0 victory for the Scottish champions.
Confirmation that these fans — including many friends and family of the £15million-rated defender — would be ‘doing the huddle in the Champions League’ was then raucously spelled out by every customer at Parkhead.
But Tierney admits even that was no time for leisurely enjoyment. After all, that elusive sixth goal hadn’t gone in. Going for the throat is now ingrained in the psyche of this Celtic team that are operating strictly to their manager’s mantra to ‘never leave the game early’.
Tierney explained: ‘It’s easier than you think to slack off once you’ve scored a few goals but that’s not what we do. This manager would never let us do it and that’s what you need — someone to keep you going.
‘We want to keep pressing them, winning it back as soon as we can and keep the ball. You don’t want to switch off and give them a sniff.
‘It was a great display from the fans. It was class. I really enjoyed that. You can’t not see it. But you’re just concentrating on the game, and who you should be marking.
‘It’s crazy, of course. You can’t really prepare for the Celtic Park atmosphere. You think you know what it’s like but it still takes you by surprise. They go up a level every time. The atmosphere the other night was great and that spurs us on. For the away team to hear 60,000 people singing like that, it must be hard for them. But for us, we never, ever lose our focus.
‘Everyone performed great on the night and we’re going over there knowing we’ve scored five. But it doesn’t change anything. We still have to be 100-per-cent prepared. We’re not slacking off and we’re looking forward to a hard game.’
Complacency, Tierney was told in the first presentation from Rodgers last year, is your disease. That’s one of the many messages successfully hammered home by the manager who enjoyed his finest Celtic European hour on Wednesday.
Tierney missed half the group stage last season, including the draws at Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City, after suffering ankle ligament damage in October.
He can now look forward to returning to the arena in the knowledge both he and his teammates are vastly improved on the squad that finished at the foot of an extremely tough section.
‘Last year was great and now we have to achieve things this year, too,’ he said. ‘Last year I played in all the qualifying matches then got injured which meant I missed some groupstage games. Now we all want to get back there.
‘When the gaffer came in, the qualifying was just the start and we hadn’t worked long under each other. Last year we were just getting to grips with it. I think everyone is the one brain now.
‘We were getting better as training went on. And, as a squad, a year down the line I think everyone can see how much we’ve come on. We’re much better and fitter.’
Wednesday’s romp was the fifth clean sheet in qualifying. A perfect record on that front is just one of the motivations that will be at play in the minds of Tierney and his colleagues as they jet out today to complete the job of landing a place in Thursday’s draw.
Tierney places considerable credit for the defensive fortitude so far in this campaign at the jet-fast feet of his attacking colleagues.
The Scotland star admits the torrid time he receives behind the scenes at Lennoxtown is ideal preparation for the relentless demands when the curtains open on a big European night.
‘I’ve got a hard role now getting up and down the pitch all game but in training, when you’re in that position, you’re playing against top wingers and full-backs,’ he explained. ‘It just prepares you for games like these. Testing yourself against Scott Sinclair, James Forrest and Jonny Hayes every day is great for me. I learn every day.
‘I know I’m fitter now as I can last a game a bit better! I used to get to 60 or 70 minutes in and feel cramp.
‘That’s expected as a young boy coming through. But getting fitter in training and the gym pieces it together.
‘European games are a good test as everyone is well organised and
quick on the counter. So you have to be aware of that. I could be up attacking and then back defending a moment later. It’s demanding. But that’s what you want as a player.
‘I feel that I’ve still got a lot to give and I’m working hard every day to try to get better. I’m nowhere near the perfect player. Far from it.
‘I’m working hard on all my weaknesses — and there are plenty of them.’
The fans’ banner was class. It must be hard for away teams to hear 60,000 singing