Tierney selects Balde as dream teammate; the exact type of defender Celtic are missing?

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Celtic would welcome the addition of a commanding centre-half like Balde to help overcome their defensive frailties.

In a recent interview with Celtic’s club sponsor Dafabet UK, left-back Kieran Tierney revealed that he would choose former Hoops stopper Bobo Balde are his ideal teammate.

Balde enjoyed an eight-year career with the Celts and grew to become one of the most commanding centre-backs the Scottish game has seen in recent history.

During his time in Glasgow, the French-born Guinea international won five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups and was a key member of the 2002/2003 side that reached the UEFA Cup final under the management of Martin O’Neill.

In total, Balde made 232 appearances in a Hoops shirt and scored some important goals throughout his Celtic Park career, becoming a fan favourite through his ferocity and dedication on the pitch.

As a young Celtic fan in the noughties, it is understandable why Balde would have been Tierney’s favourite Hoops star, especially as a defender, and there is no doubt that the current Celtic squad could do with the addition of such a player in his prime.

“If I had one footballer as a teammate I’d pick Bobo Balde,” Tierney told Dafabet, “My favourite player growing up and he was my hero so I would go for him.”

Celtic’s defence has been at the centre of debate for quite some time, with each of the club’s centre-backs drawing criticism over their performances at various stages of the season.

The club have been over-reliant on youngsters at the time, with Jozo Simunovic, 23, and Kristoffer Ajer, 19, often making up the centre-back pairing. The addition of a strong and experienced leader such as Balde would be the exact figure that could help organise the entire defensive structure in front of Craig Gordon or Dorus De Vries.

Looking at the team down the years, senior figures such as Kelvin Wilson and Daniel Majstorovic have always had an important role to play at the back, especially when it comes to helping the manager blend younger talent into the starting XI.

Marvin Compper may well be that experienced head the club is crying out for, but with his injury problems we are yet to see him feature competitively for Brendan Rodgers.