Former Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney has had a strange 20-21 alongside his Arsenal team-mates.
Arteta’s Gunners have struggled this season. The North Londoners are currently 15th, with one win in their last five (BBC). Still, a win against capital city rivals Chelsea boosted morale in the support, as did another unlikely source.
Celtic’s former no.63 wears shin-pads. One of those shin-pads features a Celtic badge, while the other has Arsenal’s emblem. Yes, this is the level of discourse in English football.
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Tierney, who made 170 competitive appearances for Celtic, has made no secret of his continued love for the Bhoys.
Gunners fans were overcome with emotion at the KT shin-pad reveal.
Ex-Celt Kieran Tierney takes a throw-in / (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal fans react as Tierney’s Celtic shinner unveiled
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Join the forum now >>Tierney revealed his Celtic and Arsenal shin-pads on Instagram yesterday.
— Danang Surya Saputra (@danangsaputra77) December 28, 2020
The reaction was swift and over-the-top.
Kieran Tierney’s shin pads 👀
How can you not love this man?! ❤️@Arsenal @CelticFC pic.twitter.com/GyLI7I8CWj— 〽️att Toмo (@RealMattTomo) December 26, 2020
Good on him.. The bloke is future Arsenal Captain.. we love him.
— DatGoonerGuy (@Goonermikie) December 28, 2020
He is future captain material.
— David Horowitz (@islesdave) December 26, 2020
If you couldn’t love KT any more… zoom into his shin pads and drop a ❤️️ pic.twitter.com/U7ai9DVAYP
— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) December 28, 2020
Arsenal and Celtic shin pads on this Guy is unreal I always wanted him at the club after watching him extensively at Celtic and his connection with their fans and he is replicating that here at Arsenal. Future Captain written over this
— banjo adeyosoye (@erc7player) December 28, 2020
Arsenal on the stronger shin and Celtic on the other. Wow.
— Made-GREAT-by-GRACE (@sam_atilola) December 28, 2020
Fans of ‘The Best League in the World’, there (Bleacher Report).
KT with a Celtic flag: it has to mean something / (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
Serious stuff
Yes, we love the small stuff here. But should people be collectively freaking out over Kieran Tierney’s custom shin-pads? I’ll let you answer that yourself.
KT is a modern Celtic great, no doubt. It’s nice that he pays homage to the Bhoys in his own way. Still, though; I like to think it’d take more than some accessories for our fans to mark a player as “captain material”.
If Jack Hendry came back sporting a Celtic headband, would we be claiming that he was the answer all along? Would Scott Brown be on the 60 bus away from Celtic Park if Maryan Shved wears a green wristband?
Something to remember the next time English football fans call Celtic a “small club”. Especially when they’re linked to one of our best players.