Five modern Celtic players who returned to Paradise for a second spell just like Kieran Tierney

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Kieran Tierney is back at Celtic and joins a number of stars who have played for the Bhoys at least twice in their careers.

Tierney was sold to Arsenal by the Hoops during the summer of 2019 for a record £25m fee. Only Matt O’Riley’s sale to Brighton last summer cost more.

The left-back started well with the Gunners and won the FA Cup in his first season. But gradually, things started to go downhill with injuries and the emergence of Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Tierney was loaned out to Real Sociedad two seasons ago and missed a large chunk of last season with an injury sustained at Euro 2024 with Scotland.

Now, he’s eager to get his career back on track with a return to Paradise and the club he loves most.

So who else in Celtic’s history has played for the club over at least two spells? 67 Hail Hail reveals all below.

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Jota

• 1st spell: September 2021 – July 2023
• 2nd spell: January 2025 – present

Portuguese left winger Jota shone under Ange Postecoglou, initially on loan from Benfica before signing permanently in 2022.

He won the domestic Treble in his final season before making a stunning £25m switch to Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023.

His time in Saudi Arabia was horrific, and his subsequent move to Stade Rennais didn’t exactly go to plan either. That’s when Celtic came calling and brought him back to Parkhead in January.

Fraser Forster

• 1st spell: August 2010 – August 2014
• 2nd spell: August 2019 – March 2020

Technically, goalkeeper Fraser Forster had four spells with Celtic. He enjoyed back-to-back loan stints under Neil Lennon before signing permanently in 2012.

Forster’s performances were impressive for the Hoops and it earned him a lucrative move down south to play for Southampton.

By 2019, Forster was well down the pecking order at St Mary’s and Celtic executed the chance to bring the big stopper back to Glasgow for a season.

He was instrumental in Celtic’s 2019 Betfred Cup final success against Rangers when he produced a plethora of outstanding saves across the encounter.

Emilio Izaguirre

• 1st spell: August 2010 – July 2017
• 2nd spell: August 2018 – August 2019

Little was known about Honduran left-back Emilio Izaguirre when he arrived at Celtic on a four-year contract from Montagua.

But a year later, everyone was raving about him having won a host of individual awards such as the SPL Player of the Year and the PFA Scotland Player of the Year among others.

Izaguirre won nine major honours at Celtic before leaving after seven years for Al-Fayha in Saudi Arabia. But it wasn’t long until he was re-signed by Brendan Rodgers for the 2018/19 season.

Charlie Mulgrew

• 1st spell: 1999 – August 2006
• 2nd spell: July 2010 – June 2016

Celtic fans might be wondering why Charlie Mulgrew is on this list.

But we decided to include him because despite not making a first-team appearance during his first spell at Celtic, he did spend years in the academy developing his trade.

Mulgrew enjoyed a successful loan stint at Dundee United, but was ultimately let go by the Hoops which allowed Wolves to sign the defender on a free.

But Mulgrew had unfinished business at Parkhead and found his way back at the club in 2010 after an impressive couple of years at Aberdeen.

Mulgrew was outstanding during the 2011/12 campaign and swept up all of the individual awards at the end of the season.

Shaun Maloney

• 1st spell: April 2001 – January 2007
• 2nd spell: August 2008 – August 2011

One of Celtic’s most exciting modern wingers, Shaun Maloney endured a difficult opening few years in the Hoops first-team.

He made his debut in 2001 but didn’t really impact the team until the 2005/06 season after years sat on the bench and suffering a nasty cruciate ligament injury.

Maloney scored 16 goals and delivered 11 assists in all competitions under new manager Gordon Strachan and won both the PFA Scotland POTY and YPOTY awards – the first to ever achieve that feat.

After a year at Aston Villa, Maloney came back to the Hoops in 2008 and added a Scottish League Cup to his previous seven winners’ medals secured during his first spell.