Will Kieran Tierney’s summer move to Arsenal enhance his chances of dethroning Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson from the left-back spot on the international stage?
Barry Ferguson has backed the possibility of Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney playing as a left-sided centre-back for Scotland amid strong competition with Liverpool’s Andy Robertson at left-back.
Scotland aren’t blessed with great defensive players, but one thing they do have is two outstanding left-backs in Arsenal summer signing Tierney and Liverpool’s European Cup winner Robertson.
Tierney, who moved to Arsenal from Celtic and has just returned from injury, has been left out of Steve Clarke’s up and coming internationals as a precaution, as reported by BBC Sport.
But when he does return to fitness, former Scotland midfielder Ferguson told PLZ Soccer that he liked the idea of him playing at centre-back, but admitted that playing on the right-hand side isn’t something he likes.
“I think Arsenal are doing the right thing,” Ferguson told PLZ Soccer. “They are taking it easy with him. He missed pre-season, which is the most important part for a professional footballer, so they are just going to ease him back in.
“I will be interested to see when he does come back into the Scotland squad to see what Steve Clarke is going to do with him and Robertson. For me, Tierney is a top player.
On Tierney playing at left centre-back for Scotland: “That’s a good call. Gordon Strachan played him at right-back. But he doesn’t like it. For me, we have two top left-backs in the world.”
It’s unfortunate for Scotland that two of their best players are left-backs because they don’t have high-quality players in their squad as it is.
As a result, they have struggled to reach a major tournament since the ’90s and that doesn’t look like it’ll come to an end any time soon.
Robertson, who is also the captain of his country, is number one for Clarke, but Tierney’s move to the Emirates will no doubt add more fuel to his performances and potentially push the Liverpool man off his perch.
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