Kieran Tierney’s pain in recent weeks has been there for all to see.
He’s confirmed that his return against Aberdeen last Saturday saw him play through it too.
The Hoops’ number one left-back is going for an operation for a double-hernia this summer. It’s been a problem that seems to have been plaguing Tierney for some time too. The stop-start nature of his second half of the campaign will have been just as frustrating for him as it will have been for the fans.
Neil Lennon made a bold move in throwing Tierney back into the mix at Pittodrie last Saturday. Even though Celtic won the game 3-0 at Aberdeen, he had to come off with the pain being too much for him. And speaking to the Celtic View this week, Tierney confirmed that he played through the pain at the weekend.
“It was my first game back and it was tough but I gave it my all. It was sore playing with a double hernia, but I wanted to be out there to play my part.
“It’s been really tough not playing as many minutes as I’d like. I want to play every minute of every game, so missing some has been frustrating. The earlier part of the season was good for me on a personal level, though.
“I played virtually every minute of the start of the season, which is the busiest period of the season for us. It’s a long season so it’s easy to forget what happened at the start. I’m just glad I could help win the title.”
Tierney simply can’t be risked
It wouldn’t be the worst decision for Celtic to allow him to head off for his operation now and get him in prime condition ahead of next season.
The Champions League qualification matches mean so much financially for the club. The prize money for next season’s competition hasn’t yet been revealed. This year, however, group stage participants reeled in €15.25million per club.
So it’s best we make sure Tierney doesn’t do further damage between now and those qualifiers. At the very least, however, he shouldn’t be tossed back in at Ibrox as it stands. He’s not in peak condition, and he could do with not being the target of over-the-top challenges from the Ibrox men.
Tierney’s commitment to Celtic, however, is currently on full show. He’s determined to play every match he can for the club regardless of the pain he’s in. That speaks wonders of the lengths he’ll go to in the pursuit of the treble treble.
But Celtic have a judgment call to make here. It looks as though Lennon is going to do his best to save him for the Scottish Cup final, if his comments to the BBC are anything to go by.
The qualifiers in July, however, remain of vital importance, and must be the priority.
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