Celtic defender Kieran Tierney was a class apart in Europa League win.
Kieran Tierney was Celtic’s standout player as Brendan Rodgers’ side opened the Europa League group stages with a win.
Celtic beat Rosenborg 1-0, with substitute Leigh Griffiths bagging the goal.
He replaced Odsonne Edouard, who had managed only 16 touches in 75 minutes.
By contrast, teammate Kieran Tierney touched the ball 106 times in the win.
While that may be apples and oranges in terms of the position they play, Tierney’s performance was fantastic.
He was a constant threat from left-back, pushing forward at every opportunity and handling his defensive duties adeptly.
Only Olivier Ntcham came close to matching Tierney’s time in possession, with the central midfielder contributing 103 touches.
Tierney created three goalscoring chances, more than any other Celtic player.
He also tried to get on the scoresheet himself, with two shots at goal, one landing on target.
Once again this summer there was transfer interest in Tierney, but nothing substantial in terms of a bid.
Team like Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton all have established left-backs and their need for Tierney has faded, compared to a couple of years ago.
Last night’s performance underlined how fortunate Celtic are to have managed to keep hold of him, and with no prospect of a departure on the horizon, the future is bright.
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