It was a moment many people savoured over the weekend when Kieran Tierney returned to the Celtic Park turf.
Celtic thrashed Newcastle United 4-0 in a pre-season friendly, and in the second half, Brendan Rodgers brought on Tierney to the loudest cheer of the game.
The 28-year-old wearing the green and white colours again is a joy to behold, and it’s perhaps the deal of the summer for the champions of Scotland.
But who is going to play back-up to Tierney, and could that individual already be inside Celtic Park?
READ MORE: What Kieran Tierney said on holiday about Brendan Rodgers and leaving Arsenal to join Celtic
Kieran Tierney back on the Celtic Park turf
Tierney returned from injury last winter, and he managed to stay out of the treatment room as Arsenal finished second in the Premier League table and also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.
That’s a positive sign for Celtic, but Charlie Mulgrew told Go Radio that he still can’t see Tierney playing ‘every game’, as he was delighted with his return.
“What a signing,” responded Mulgrew. “What a signing that is. It was great to watch him come on, and the fans cheered his name.
“He is coming back at the prime of his career. I know people have mentioned his injuries. But I don’t think he will play every single game.”
Who will play back-up to Tierney?
The ‘perfect’ challenger would have been Greg Taylor, according to Mulgrew, but he opted to leave and sign for PAOK on a free transfer.
During pre-season, new signing Hayato Inamura has played at left-back, and he has looked good after arriving from the J-League.
And Mulgrew backed the idea of Inamura being the one to cover at left-back for Tierney, even though his preference is to play at centre-back.
“It’s important they get somebody in as a back-up,” added Mulgrew. “Taylor would have been perfect for that.
“But, obviously, he didn’t want to do that. So, they need somebody to come in and play second fiddle to Kieran Tierney.
“I still think he will play a lot of games. I just don’t think he will play them all. I think the intensity of the Scottish Premiership won’t be the same as the English Premier League. Albeit, there will be Champions League, hopefully.
“Potentially, aye (Inamura as Tierney’s back-up). I think he could be the one to play back-up. It’s a difficult signing to make, isn’t it? It needs to be a young lad who wants to come in and play second fiddle. It’s going to be interesting to see.”
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