Arsenal star Kieran Tierney has been reassured by Celtic fans that he is ‘always welcome at Parkhead’, after the full-back admitted he is ‘scared’ to go back to Glasgow.
The Tesco bag-carrying Scotland international has opened up on his fear about returning to Celtic Park after the word ‘Judas’ was painted near his home following his transfer to Arsenal.
Tierney was a fan favourite at his boyhood club, but his relationship with supporters turned sour ahead of his £25million move to the Premier League last summer.
getty
He says he received ‘thousands’ of messages and threats from angry fans as they ‘turned’ on him, and lamented the ‘sad’ ending to his spell at his hometown club.
talkSPORT’s very own Glaswegian Jim White reacted to the news with former Republic of Ireland international Clinton Morrison on Thursday, who both strongly condemned Celtic fans’ treatment of their former star.
“Kieran Tierney loves Celtic,” said host White.
“He was in the middle of a tug of war and Arsenal got their man because Celtic accepted £25million – end of!”
“Exactly,” added former striker Morrison. “It’s good business for Celtic.
“Listen, it’s probably a minority of Celtic fans, the majority of them are unbelievable supporters. You ask any player and they’d love to play in front of those fans. It’s a joy to play there, Celtic Park is sensational. But, to the minority, they can’t do that to Kieran Tierney.
getty
“He’s been outstanding, he’s come through their youth ranks, they’ve got £25m for a really talented full-back who is going to be a big player in the Premier League.
“He can’t be called a Judas! He’s scared to go back for a game, you should not be scared about going to a game or worried about the reception he’s going to get.
“For me, that’s bang out of order and it shouldn’t happen. He’s living his dream!”
And, as Clinton says, it appears not all Celtic supporters hold this bitter grudge against the Arsenal man.
talkSPORT was joined by Parkhead faithful, Mark, who wanted to have his say on the Tierney abuse on the behalf of ‘every fair-minded and decent Celtic fan’ and hit back at the ‘idiots’ among the Hoops’ support.
And he insisted Tierney will be more than welcome back at Celtic Park.
Getty
“I’m absolutely disgusted by this, as will every fair-minded and decent Celtic fan be,” Mark told Jim on Thursday’s show.
“There’s an element creeping into our support that wasn’t really prevalent before, these numpties with offensive banners, they sing ridiculous songs, they get involved politically when they really shouldn’t, they let off pyrotechnics…
“They’re an absolutely disgrace and it’s these idiots no doubt who are saying this about Tierney.
“That wee man is the best thing to come out of Celtic in about 30 years. Every single game he played for us he gave 110 per cent, he wore his heart of his sleeve, he’s Celtic-daft and a nicer guy you couldn’t meet.
“He’s one of us, he sounds like any other Glasgow lad on the street.
“He’s a future Arsenal and Scotland captain and I truly believe he’s welcome at Parkhead and I actually think he’ll come back one day to play for us again.”
Another Celtic supporter, Scott, also joined the show and declared: ‘Once a Bhoy, always a Bhoy’.
He said: “Is Henrik Larsson a Judas? Is John Hartson a Judas? People are forgetting that it was actually Celtic who sold him!
“If Kieran Tierney is listening… listen young man, you’re more than welcome at Celtic Park. You’re one of us.
“Once a Bhoy, always a Bhoy!”
from Football - news, transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures https://ift.tt/2Q79eLk
via IFTTT
No Comment