WANTED MAN HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE HIS BELOVED CELTS

KIERAN TIERNEY admitted he is flattered by transfer interest from Bournemouth but insists he remains committed to the six-year contract he signed with Celtic earlier this season.

The 20-year-old defender, who is today named as the Scottish Football Writers’ Association’s Young Player of the Year, said he enjoys the ongoing speculation that has seen him linked with English Premier League sides from Manchester United to Tottenham.

But although his manager Brendan Rodgers concedes there may come a time when the riches on offer south of the border are too good for the player to ignore, the Scotland internationalist insists he is happy to continue plying his trade at the club he has supported since childhood.

‘If somebody wants to buy you then that means you are doing something right,’ said Tierney. ‘When big teams are looking at you, it’s flattering.

‘It’s happened during most windows since I broke through. It’s good for me.

‘It doesn’t bother me or distract me because I’m enjoying myself. I’m playing for Celtic, so I’m happy. I’m not in any rush at all. I had four years left on my last contract and, if I wanted to leave, I would have chosen to run that down. Instead, when the club offered me six I was happy to sign.’

Tierney first won the young player award in 2016 at the end of his breakout season under Ronny Deila. He has gone on to become a fixture for Rodgers and a key component of a team that stands on the verge of back-to-back domestic Trebles.

‘A lot of people see me as being older than I am,’ he remarks. ‘That’s three seasons I’ve been playing regularly for Celtic and that’s a long time.

‘But I still see myself as being young and having a lot to learn. I’ve been around the dressing room and seen a lot of people come and go.’

Tierney’s extended deal made him one of the club’s highest earners, a deal Rodgers and chief executive Peter Lawwell were happy to sanction as it protected one of their most valuable assets.

Yet if a bumper offer came in — and word is that Bournemouth would be prepared to start the bidding north of £20million — a decision might have to be made.

Rodgers also concedes that there is a responsibility on his part to look out for his players’ interests.

‘The time when players were not for sale is long gone,’ he said. ‘The kid’s signed a long-term deal and you can see the happiness he has here.

‘But there’s also a moral aspect to it. If a player is on X amount of money and he’s offered five times that by someone else — and the club also has a big offer — then it’s something that will be spoken about.

‘This is his life and he loves being here. His mum and dad are Celtic daft, but it is a short career and you have to be mindful of that.

‘So you have to consider that aspect, especially when there is a limit as to how far your club can push. We’re in an era where it’s not only Scottish football which can’t compete with the wages on offer from the Premier League — Italy and Germany can’t either.

‘Because of his age and talent, Kieran is always going to be linked with other clubs.

‘He’s content to be here and he’s a big talent but I could never say one way or another what his future will be.’

Rodgers hopes to sign on-loan Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain on a permanent deal this week.

KIERAN TIERNEY is the recipient of the SFWA Young Player of the Year award in association with DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.