Jonny Hayes debunks ‘constant conversation’ about Kieran Tierney at Celtic after Greg Taylor’s exit

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There wasn’t a better sight than seeing Kieran Tierney in the Celtic colours again.

Of course, the Celtic supporters got to see their returning hero in pre-season, but his first competitive game was the Hoops’ narrow win over St Mirren on Flag Day.

That continued over the weekend as Tierney provided an assist during Celtic’s Premiership win over Aberdeen.

The former Arsenal man replaced Greg Taylor at left-back after he opted against renewing his contract, and instead, he secured a move to PAOK.

And it’s fair to say that the duo are very different types of players.

• READ MORE: Meet Kieran Tierney, the Celtic fan favourite who returned to Paradise

Kieran Tierney’s role at Celtic

Taylor used to deploy an inverted role; at times, he was seen as a genius, and on other occasions, he was getting a lot of stick from his fans.

Jonny Hayes wanted to debunk the suggestion that Tierney isn’t able to come into the middle of the pitch and work his magic.

But speaking to Sky Sports Football (10/08/25), Hayes made it clear that Celtic’s all-action left-back is an ‘elite-level player.’

“Probably, no, to be honest,” responded Hayes on whether he sees a difference in Tierney after his return to Celtic.

“I have always rated him really highly. He has gone away. You learn from every club that you take different things from.

“There is this constant conversation about playing on the outside. Kieran is an elite-level player. Kieran wants to play on the inside, and the manager wants him to play there. He can do that, no problem.

“It’s just a case of getting up to speed, adapting to his relationship with the likes of Reo (Hatate) on his side. Daizen or Scales.

“Like any new player. I just think there will be a little bit more scrutiny on Kieran than any other players, because of the level he has been at.”

How Tierney rated against St Mirren and Aberdeen

Celtic play Falkirk in the League Cup on Friday night, and it’s going to be interesting to see if Tierney features because Brendan Rodgers does need to watch out for his workload.

Not forgetting that Celtic have crucial Champions League qualifiers coming up, and that during the week of the first Glasgow derby of the season.

But how has Tierney rated so far by WhoScored?

• Vs St Mirren: Win, clean sheet, 65 minutes, and 6.98 rating
• Vs Aberdeen: Win, clean sheet, 67 minutes, assist, and 7.66 rating