Former Celtic forward Kris Commons believes Kieran Tierney would be a ‘hell of a player’ at Manchester United if he had more arrogance.
The 34-year-old says the talented defender could shine for the Red Devils if he acted like he belonged with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba.
Tierney rose through the youth ranks to the Celtic first-team in 2015 and has gone on to make 127 appearances in all competitions, scoring and creating 38 goals for the Hoops.
He’s won two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish League Cups and one Scottish Cup, which could become two if Celtic beat Motherwell in the final later this month.
The Scottish international has been outstanding for Celtic this season too, racking up 52 appearances in all competitions which led to him being named Young Scottish Player of the Year.
The 20-year-old has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal of late, and Commons is confident he could thrive at such a big club if he was more confident.
There’s a lot of pressure playing for Celtic but playing for a side like United is in a whole other ballpark and players can often get crushed by the weight of expectation.
Commons said to Sky Sports:
“Kieran has been touted as the next Manchester United or Arsenal left-back, but I just wonder if he can take the same confidence, bordering on arrogance – that whole ‘I’m Mr Celtic’ thing – into a dressing room with Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and David de Gea.
“Are you going to take that in there? If he can, then his attitude will be contagious, it will spread throughout the team, just like it does with Scott Brown. If Kieran can be that guy then not only will the fans relate to him the way they do in Glasgow, but he’ll be a hell of a player as well.
“He’ll have an impact on the field, but also on the stadium and, when the crowd responds in that manner, performance levels go through the roof. If Kieran can do that for a big club there will be no stopping him.
“As a left-back, he’s improved dramatically since I saw him break through as a teenager. Don’t forget he broke his leg twice after breaking into the first team. Kieran’s been linked with all of the top clubs in England and he’s just grown and grown and grown.
“His strength and his rapport with the supporters has propelled him not only into Celtic’s starting XI but also into the category of Scotland’s next captain, which is remarkable for someone so young.
“Scott Brown is the pinnacle of captains for me, in terms of dominating games and dictating the tempo of them. (But) Kieran is certainly a candidate at a time when there isn’t an obvious, outstanding individual.”