The true hallmark of a club’s growth is characterized by the development of the club rather than the success of it. A fine example of it would be watching Leicester City. The club who were playing in England’s third-tier football competition in the 2008-09 season oversaw a dynamic rise to fame by clinching England’s most prestigious domestic league title in a time span of seven years. While Leicester’s one title win in the club’s 133 year history maybe one too few, it cannot be argued about how the club has grown in the last decade.
A major ingredient in a club’s development is the ability of the club to produce and more importantly retain good players. In the modern era, where big money transfers have become the norm and a scouting network that has spread like a web to an extent that even a prospect with a glimpse of promise is snapped up in the blink of an eye, it is important for clubs to hold on to their players who understand the culture and values of their respective clubs.
It is after reflecting upon such thoughts that the news regarding the extension of Kieran Tierney’s contract has come as a happy read for many football fans.
Tierney, who turned 20 this year, is a Celtic youth academy product currently playing for the senior team. He made his debut two years back in 2015 as a teenager and since has occupied the left-back position in the club. Tierney recently signed a new contract that will see him tied down to the Hoops for the next six years of his career. The club and the player were both delighted at the deal going through with such little fuss.
Speaking to the official Celtic website, Tierney said: “I give a lot of thanks to the manager for believing in me. I’ve also got the right people around me to keep me grounded and it’s a big credit to them. My family will be delighted and it’s a big reward for them for believing in me and putting the work in all these years.”
Having played for close to two years at the club, Tierney is closing in on 100 appearances for the club, a record very few people hold at such a young age.
“It’s crazy the amount of appearances I’ve had already, and that’s with three operations as well, so it could have been a lot more,” he said, “but just to play that many games already for Celtic at this age is unbelievable and hopefully I can keep doing that.
“Every football player will tell you that they just take it one game at a time and that’s because it’s true. You’re not looking ahead beyond the next game and the next training day, so it’s just one game and one day at a time for me.”
It is obviously great news for the club as well who will want Tierney to grow into one of the leaders at the club as he understands the culture of the club and plays for Celtic out of passion rather than as a professional.
Celtic’s domestic performances have been nothing but ruthless and dominating. They have won eight and drawn two in the league and remain unbeaten.
Let us hope that young Tierney will be an example to the young generation of players coming through and help convey the most basic but important message of football: it is a game of passion.
