John Collins: The first time I saw Kieran Tierney, he wasn’t even first-choice for the Celtic youth team… Look at him now

John Collins knew Kieran Tierney was destined to go to the very top after just one training session with the Celtic first-team.

Collins was at Parkhead as assistant boss to Ronny Deila.

When they first arrived, Tierney had just turned 17, and wasn’t even first-choice left-back for the youth team.

But the pair quickly spotted something in the teenager, and wanted to run the rule over him in training against the likes of Scott Brown, Virgil van Dijk, James Forrest and Kris Commons.

Tierney passed with flying colours.

So much so, Deila and Collins knew they had to get him into the first-team, even though they knew they’d face criticism for doing it at the expense of regular full-back, Emilio Izaguirre.

Fast forward five seasons, and Tierney played a significant role in the capture of the treble Treble.

And his consistency and talent eventually led to him signing for Arsenal for £25 million to become the most-expensive Scottish footballer of all time.

© SNS

Collins is delighted for the 22-year-old, and recalled: “Kieran’s talent was very obvious to Ronny and I, and we could tell that after just one training session.

“At the time, he wasn’t even getting a regular game with the youth team, but you could see he had qualities.

“We wanted to get him in with us to get a closer look.

“After that initial session, we had the coaches debrief and we all said: ‘Wow, he’s a player’.

“He could run, he could tackle, he could sprint, had a great attitude, he was good on the ball and wasn’t fazed.

“He treated a game of five-a-sides during that session like it was a World Cup Final.

“We knew he was worthy of an opportunity, and we wanted to get him in to see how he coped in the first-team environment on a match day.

“Emilio Izaguirre was the first-choice left-back, and was a fans’ favourite.

“So we took a little bit of stick for putting Kieran in.

“He didn’t let anyone down, however, and it didn’t take long for the fans to see that the kid was going to have an excellent future.

“Well, he has certainly gone on to do just that.

“I’m not surprised to see his progression, and the contribution he has made to Celtic in the past four years.

“When he was with us, he just wanted to get better and better and had a great attitude.

“He was out on the training ground doing extra sessions, and working on developing his game when he was in possession.

“Frankly, he is a coach’s dream.

“I have no doubt that he is more than ready to make the step-up to the demands of the domestic game in England.

“He will absolutely be able to cope at the highest level there.

“He will thrive on it all, and excel.”

© SNS

Collins hit back at pundits who have questioned Tierney’s ability to defend at the highest level.

Some have even suggested he may struggle against top-class wingers in England.

The former Celtic, Everton, Fulham, Hibs, Monaco and Scotland star dismissed that notion, and stressed: “Being able to defend properly is an art, and Kieran knows how to do it.

“He gets his distances perfect when he is facing a winger. He never lets the winger turn and get at him.

“He closes down quickly, and loves contact with a winger.

“I’ve seen it close-hand, against some top, top players.

“Trust me, wingers – yes, the very best of them – will not enjoy playing against Kieran.

“He can defend and he can also go forward and join in on the attack. His overlapping runs are first-class, and his deliveries are mouthwatering.

“He has gone for £25m, and that is a very good transfer fee for Celtic.

“But it also an excellent piece of business for Arsenal. When you look at the market in England some of the fees players are bought and sold for, there is no doubt in my mind that Arsenal have done very well out of this signing.”

© Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Some Celtic fans are disappointed to see Tierney leave, but Collins understands the player’s willingness to move down south.

He himself left Celtic in the summer of 1996 to join AS Monaco, and then moved on to play in England with Everton and Fulham.

And when he left Celtic Park in the summer of 2016 after Deila’s departure, Collins offered some guidance to the new Hoops boss, Brendan Rodgers.

He told him he was inheriting a squad with three top young players that would help form the nucleus of his team.

Tierney was one and the others were Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie.

He said: “It will have been an emotional time for Kieran because he is a true Celtic supporter, and he lived his dream of playing for the club.

“He improved enormously under Brendan and went from being a ball boy to winning Trebles with the club and starring in the Champions League.

“A player of his calibre will always be in demand, and he felt the urge to try something different and to go and play in the top league in England.

“You can’t blame him for that.

“Anfield, Old Trafford, The Etihad and Stamford Bridge all await him, and that is very exciting.

“He will still want to see Celtic doing well and winning the league again this season, that’s for sure.

“But his focus is now on Arsenal. The club has had a couple of barren years, but he will improve the team.

“They are a massive football club. Their aim will be to get back into the top four and that can be done.

“Kieran will improve their team and he will settle in fine because he is a nice human being, a bubbly boy with a good personality.

“The Arsenal lads will like him, and he will be an asset on and off the park.

“I wish him every success because I know the amount of hard work he has put into his career so far.

“He deserves to do well and every Scottish person should be cheering him on.”