Kieran Tierney

Written by Ewan Murray for The Guardian:

The conundrum of how to fit Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson into the same Scotland team was a tortuous one until the former made an international home on the left side of a back three. Tierney’s ability to break powerfully with the ball and pop up in attacking positions is a key element of how the Scots play. Scottish fans scratch their heads over why Tierney was allowed to leave Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal on loan. A raft of injuries is the obvious explanation. Real Sociedad felt the benefit, Tierney arriving in Spain last summer relishing a fresh start. Hamstring problems blunted Tierney’s progress slightly there. He will want to use the Euros not only to propel Scotland from their group but to prove to managers – probably including Arteta – that he can still perform at the highest level. A window full of transfer speculation over Tierney is inevitable. Celtic and Arsenal are the only two clubs of Tierney’s permanent career.