kieran tierney says Celtic’s trophy-winning experience under interim manager Martin O’Neill and a group of seasoned team-mates gives the club a ‘massive’ advantage as the Premiership run-in tightens. He spoke after scoring Celtic’s opener in the Old Firm draw on Sunday (ET) and ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Aberdeen (ET). Tierney framed experience as a crucial edge in what he described as a four-horse race for the title.
Key facts and the state of the title race
Celtic have traditionally dominated the Premiership, topping the table in 13 of the last 14 seasons, a run noted by players in the squad. At present the team sit third: eight points behind the leaders, two behind Rangers but with a game in hand over both, and only two points clear of Motherwell. Tierney opened the scoring in Sunday’s comeback draw at Ibrox after Celtic recovered from two goals down, a result the left-back said left the squad in a “positive” frame of mind ahead of the trip to Pittodrie.
Kieran Tierney: experience, leadership and recent form
Tierney highlighted the presence of proven winners in the dressing room as a decisive factor. “Experience of a title run is a massive thing, ” the left-back said, pointing to captain Callum McGregor and winger James Forrest as players who have been through trophy runs with the club. Tierney has been part of four title-winning campaigns and described having O’Neill — who lifted the trophy three times in his first spell as manager — as “brilliant” for the squad.
The left-back, who returned to the club last summer after a six-year spell away, also referenced the collective quality shown late at Ibrox. “We’ve got a captain, Cal, who’s won so many trophies, James Forrest and other boys who have been there in the past as well, so it’s amazing to have guys like that in the changing room, ” he said. He added that the team are trying to address slow starts in recent matches while building on “the determination and the character that we showed – and the quality we showed as well” in the second half.
Immediate reactions and voices in the camp
Tierney framed the title fight as unusual but familiar in terms of pressure for the club. “It’s probably exciting if you are watching it from the outside, ” he said. “It’s probably something that’s not been there for a while. It’s massive, but regardless of the situation, every week the game matters for Celtic. It’s not new to us… But we are focusing on ourselves, not the teams around us. ” He also said “it would be massive” to move above Rangers in the table but warned that Aberdeen away “for any team at any stage of the season is a hard game. “
Other squad figures referenced by Tierney include James Forrest, who has been part of all 13 of the recent title-winning campaigns, and Callum McGregor, who has been involved in ten. Those names, combined with O’Neill’s past trophy record, form the experience group Tierney says gives Celtic an edge.
What comes next
As Celtic head to Aberdeen for the midweek fixture (ET), the focus in the dressing room is on correcting slow openings and converting character into consistent results. The squad will test whether the blend of senior winners and recent second-half displays can be sustained across the run-in. kieran tierney’s assessment makes experience the headline weapon — now the team must turn that advantage into points on the pitch.
