Manager proud he sold player to Arsenal last summer

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Celtic manager Neil Lennon has told The Daily Mail that he is proud that Kieran Tierney joined Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

As reported by BBC Sport, Tierney moved to Premier League club Arsenal from Scottish Premiership side Celtic last summer for £25 million.

Lennon has said that he is proud of the move made by the Scotland international left-back.

The Celtic boss has also mentioned Virgil van Dijk, and he is pleased that the Dutchman moved to Liverpool after starring at the Hoops.

Lennon told The Daily Mail when asked if he is envious of the riches in England: “It would be nice to be able to compete with them. I wouldn’t say ‘envious’. I like finding players under the radar.

“Van Dijk is the standout example. He goes for £12m to Southampton, then £75m to Liverpool, and now he’s probably the best centre half in the world. We take pride in that.

“We take pride in Kieran Tierney going to Arsenal for £25m. There is a lot of untapped natural talent here.

“Ideally you’d love to hold on to these players because then we’d have a strong chance of achieving something in Europe.”

Arsenal struggles

Tierney was a star at Celtic and established himself as one of the best young left-backs in Europe, but the 23-year-old has struggled with fitness and injury problems at Arsenal so far this season.

The youngster’s impact at the Emirates Stadium so far has been minimal, but there is no doubt that the Scotland international can be a star for the North London outfit in the coming years.

Stats

According to WhoScored, Tierney has made four starts and one substitute appearance in the Premier League for the Gunners so far this season.

The youngster has also provided two assists in four Europa League matches, and has played twice in the EFL Cup for Arsenal this campaign, according to WhoScored.