Steven Thompson has hailed Celtic youngster Kieran Tierney.
Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson
Pundit Steven Thompson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Celtic’s Kieran Tierney was Scotland’s best outfield player against Slovakia on Tuesday night.
Scotland were looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Lithuania when they travelled to take on Slovakia in Trnava, but they came back with a thumping defeat.
Celtic’s Kieran Tierney celebrates
Zenit St. Petersburg winger Robert Mak scored twice either side of half time to put Slovakia 2-0 up, before Adam Nemec headed home a third to cap of a 3-0 win.
The pressure is mounting on manager Gordon Strachan after just four points from three games in the qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, as many believe he isn’t getting enough out of his squad.
Kieran Tierney celebrates scoring
One player who did impress though was left back Kieran Tierney, who was surprisingly handed a start ahead of Hull City’s Andrew Robertson.
Tierney, 19, has starred for Celtic over the last year, and was thrown in against Slovakia having previously made just one appearance for Scotland.
After the game, former Rangers and Scotland striker Steven Thompson spoke to BBC Sport, offering his ratings for each player in Strachan’s side – and gave him a 6/10, the second highest rating behind goalkeeper David Marshall.
Celtic’s Kieran Tierney celebrates winning the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership
Thompson raved about Tierney, suggesting that he was superb going forward and was a constant threat, turning in a solid performance for somebody so young.
“Scotland’s best out-field player on the night,” said Tierney. “He offered so much offensively, especially in the first half. He looked a real threat every time he got on the ball. An accomplished performance for such a young player,” he added.
What did you think of Tierney’s performance for Scotland?
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