Who is Kieran Tierney? Everything fans need to know about the man who returned to Celtic from Arsenal

Kieran Tierney returned to Celtic from Arsenal in the summer of 2025.

Tierney became Celtic’s most expensive transfer in 2019 after the Premier League club pain £25m for the left-back.

Injury and Mikel Arteta curtailed Tierney’s progress at Arsenal and despite being one of the club’s most popular players amongst the Emirates supporters, he was still allowed to leave for Celtic on a free.

And after being away from Celtic for six years, we have decided to give a low down on Tierney as he’s about to embark on a second Parkhead spell.

Kieran Tierney Player Profile

• Full Name: Kieran Tierney
• Date of Birth: June 5, 1997
• Age: 28 (as of June 26, 2025)
• Place of Birth: Douglas, Isle of Man
• Nationality: Scottish
• Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
• Weight: Approximately 76 kg (11 st 13 lb)
• Position: Left-Back (can also play as a wing-back or central defender)
• Foot: Left
• Jersey Number: 63 (Celtic), 3 (Arsenal, Real Sociedad)
• Current Club: Celtic FC (returned in June 2025)
• Contract Details: Signed a five-year deal with Celtic until 2030 (confirmed June 10, 2025)
• Market Value: €9.00m (approximately £8.5m, as of December 2024)

Kieran Tierney Career Overview

Kieran Tierney is a Celtic academy graduate who rose to prominence as one of Scotland’s finest left-backs. A boyhood Celtic fan, he joined the club’s youth system at age seven and made his way through the ranks.

Tierney’s first stint at Celtic (2005–2019) saw him become a key player, winning eight major trophies and earning three consecutive PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year awards (2016–2018). He moved to Arsenal in 2019 for a record £25m fee for a Scottish player, spent a season on loan at Real Sociedad (2023–24), and returned to Celtic in 2025 on a five-year contract.

Tierney is a fan favourite, often referred to as “KT”.

Kieran Tierney’s Celtic history

• Youth Career: Joined Celtic’s academy at age seven, progressing through the youth ranks. He was a season ticket holder and briefly served as a ball boy, notably during Celtic’s famous 2012 Champions League win over Barcelona.
• Celtic (First Stint, 2014–2019): Made 170 appearances, scoring 8 goals, and won multiple titles under managers Ronny Deila and Brendan Rodgers. He was named captain in a 2017 League Cup match against Kilmarnock.
• Celtic (Second Stint, 2025–Present): Returned on a free transfer after his Arsenal contract expired, signing a five-year deal. His return is seen as a major coup for Celtic, especially for their Champions League campaign.
• International Career (Scotland):
  • Caps: 50 (as of February 2025)
  • Goals: 1 (scored against Poland, March 2022)
  • Debut: March 29, 2016, friendly against Denmark
  • Notable Moments:
    • Played in Scotland’s Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 campaigns, including a 0–0 draw against England in 2021.
    • Named Scotland captain for a friendly against the Netherlands in November 2017.
    • Missed Scotland’s final Euro 2024 match due to a hamstring injury and withdrew from a Scotland camp in February 2025 after a 3–1 loss to Iceland.

First Celtic Debut

• Date: April 22, 2015
• Match: Dundee 1–2 Celtic (Scottish Premiership)
• Details: Tierney made his competitive senior debut for Celtic as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–1 away win against Dundee at Dens Park. His first appearance came earlier, on August 2, 2014, in a pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Helsinki, where he described the experience as a “dream come true” despite a 6–1 loss.

Kieran Tierney at Arsenal

Arsenal (2019–2025): Signed for £25m, making 144 appearances and scoring 6 goals. Won the FA Cup (2020) and Community Shield (2020). His time was marred by injuries, including hip, groin, ankle, calf, shoulder, knee, and hamstring issues, leading to 94 missed games.

Kieran Tierney’s loan spell at Real Sociedad

• Real Sociedad (Loan, 2023–24): Made 26 appearances (20 in La Liga), helping the club finish sixth and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals and Champions League round of 16. Suffered two hamstring injuries during the season.

Kieran Tierney’s Career Highlights Including Celtic Trebles

• Club Achievements:
  • Celtic (First Stint):
    • Scottish Premiership: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
    • Scottish Cup: 2017, 2018, 2019
    • Scottish League Cup: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
    • Contributed to Celtic’s “Double Treble” (2016–18) and played in the 2018 League Cup final win over Aberdeen.
  • Arsenal:
    • FA Cup: 2020
    • Community Shield: 2020
  • Real Sociedad:
    • Helped secure sixth place in La Liga (2023–24), qualifying for the Europa League.
• Individual Awards:
  • PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018 (first player to win consecutively since Craig Levein in 1986)
  • PFA Scotland Goal of the Season: 2018 (for his 40-yard strike against Kilmarnock)
  • Arsenal Player of the Month: June 2020
• Notable Moments:
  • Scored in his final Arsenal match, a 2–1 win over Southampton on May 25, 2025.
  • Played the full 90 minutes in Celtic’s domestic cup final wins over Motherwell (both 2–0) in 2017.
  • Described as “exquisite” by Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil after a 5–3 win over Granada in 2023.

Kieran Tierney Celtic song

Celtic fans chant his name to the tune of “Kieran Tierney, he’s Celtic through and through!” A song by Damien Quinn also honours his connection to the club.

His nickname “KT” reflects his deep ties to Celtic, and his return in 2025 has sparked widespread excitement amongst supporters.

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