Kieran: I’d love to be local hero just like Tommy
Kieran Tierney admits he would love nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of Craigneuk hero Tommy Gemmell.
Tierney, who lives in Wishaw, grew up a stone’s throw away from where Gemmell used to run around the streets as a kid.
The Celtic full back has the perfect inspiration when it comes to the Lisbon Lions.
He said: “Tommy was from around my area. He grew up just across the bridge from where I’m from.
“Everybody around my area is sad about his death. It’s not just Celtic fans, it’s Scottish football fans overall. It just shows how much of a legend he was.
“He was a great full-back and is a legend at this club.
“Unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet him but I know what he was all about. I know how important he is to this club and he’ll be a hero here forever.
“I grew up listening to my dad and others in my family talking about Tommy and it meant a lot to me as he was a left-back. When you think about what he did for the club and the goals he scored as a full-back, it’s amazing.
“I think about how he scored in the big games as a full-back, it’s something that’s just very special.
“He got 63 goals for Celtic. If I got 63 shots from left back I’d be happy!
“That Lisbon Lions team is what the club are all about. This year is important given it’s their 50th anniversary.
“What they’ve done will live on forever. In 100 years or even 200 years they’ll always be there for what they did because it’ll never be done again.”