What Hugh Keevins said about Kieran Tierney before his Celtic goal vs Kilmarnock

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Kieran Tierney’s return to Celtic probably hasn’t gone as well as the former Arsenal defender had hoped.

Tierney returned to Celtic this summer as the former Arsenal man was given a superb homecoming by the club after a six-year absence.

With Greg Taylor making his Celtic exit, Tierney was the natural successor to the left-back throne. That was until Marcelo Saracchi came in.

The Uruguayan defender has been in superb form and has relegated Tierney to the Celtic bench. But when Saracchi was taken off injured in the Hoops’ 4-0 win and the Scotland defender replaced him, what Hugh Keevins said about the returning Parkhead hero might look a little bit daft now.

• READ MORE: Chris Sutton says rumours of Andy Robertson leaving Liverpool for Celtic ‘are different’ to Kieran Tierney’s

Hugh Keevins’ daft criticism of Celtic hero Kieran Tierney

Tierney scored his first goal for Celtic in the Kilmarnock win but as he made his way onto the Parkhead pitch, Keevins put his pre-emptive foot in his mouth.

Keevins said on Superscoreboard, “I think you’d have to cut Celtic some slack in respect of injuries. What a season they are having. Carter-Vickers out for months.

“Ihneacho, brought in, scored a few goals, out, hasn’t been seen since. Ali Johnson out for weeks. And they’ve been very unfortunate, Jota long term.

“So there are four players off the top of my head. And Kieran Tierney, with the greatest of respect, has looked a pale imitation of the Kieran Tierney that Celtic fans know.”

Whilst Tierney has not been at his best, to call him a pale imitation of the player who left in 2019 seems particularly harsh.

And it appears the Hoops defender has made Keevins eat his words with his well-taken goal in Celtic’s rout of Kilmarnock.

Kieran Tierney’s 22-minute Celtic cameo stats vs Kilmarnock

Tierney’s goal wasn’t the only good thing about the defender’s performance in the big Celtic win. Rated 8.2 by Fotmob, the Scotland star was in fine form in his 22-minute cameo appearance.

• Minutes on park: 22
• Rating: 8.2
• Goals: 1
• Chances created: 2
• Touches: 90
• Defensive contributions: 7
• Clearances: 6
• Headed clearances: 4
• Duels won: 3/6

The best way to prove a critic like Keevins wrong is to do what Tierney just did. All he needs to do is continue to show the class player he is from now until the end of the season and the rest of the critics can sit on the naughty step alongside the Clyde 1 pundit.