You would be forgiven for thinking that Scottish full-back Kieran Tierney never made the move across the border this summer, as the £25 million signing from Celtic has been nursing an injury ever since his deadline day move to the Emirates.
But with the 22-year-old now back in full training, the question remains whether the step up to regular Premier League football will be too big for Tierney.
Scottish football has famously received a reputation for its lack of competitiveness and overall poor standard of play, but with that said, Premier League clubs have still managed to find value in the market for some of the league’s most prized assets.
Southampton are renowned for their savvy shopping north of the border, acquiring the services of both Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama from Celtic for a fraction of their current value. Ballon d’Or favourite Van Dijk, in particular, is now worth at least 10 times the original £13 million fee the Saints splashed out on the Dutchman.
While Tierney has a long way to go to match the heady heights of Van Dijk, initial signs would suggest he could well develop into one of the league’s most fearsome full-backs, potentially going on to eclipse the achievements of fellow defender and countryman Andrew Robertson.
Tierney’s versatility as both a conventional full-back and wing-back ensure that he can support the midfield in transition whilst also contributing to a high press before tracking back and holding a more conservative defensive position. Tierney is, therefore, able to trap the opposition in either a high press or a low defensive block, with the aim of turning over possession quickly or restricting space in behind.
Electrifying pace is a crucial component in any full-back’s Arsenal, if you pardon the pun, and Tierney possesses bags of it. This allows him to make overlapping runs and catch teams in transition as they shift their defensive shape to try and close off the space that Tierney himself has created. By catching the other team in transition, Tierney can knock the ball past his marker and deliver into the space vacated by the oppositions sudden shift. Just Like Manchester City full-backs Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy, the Scottsman is able to dribble at a high pace, completing an impressive 4.2 dribbles per 90, as per TotalFootballAnalysis.
It’s no use creating space for yourself if your cross completion rate is matching the likes of Marcos Alonso and Ashley Young. Luckily, Tierney is also able to pick out a pass, whilst maintaining a direct and progressive style to his play. The youngster averages around eight passes into the final third per game, at a success rate of around 80%.
In comparison to his international teammate Robertson, Tierney produces very similar statistical performances, albeit in a far weaker league. The pair both produce an expected assists ratio of around 7-8, although Tierney’s cross success rate is slightly lower considering he delivers on average just over four crosses per game whilst Robertson creates around 3.5.
Defensively speaking, Tierney impresses once more, excelling when it comes to his recovery runs on top of an average of five interceptions per game and a tackle success rate of 24% – higher than that of Robertson.
Tierney’s stamina and pace allow him to get back into position and break up play on the counter before cutting inside or taking his man down the line.
At just 22 years of age, Tierney already has experience captaining both Celtic and Scotland, with his leadership qualities yet another impressive string to his bow.
The only thing preventing Tierney from making a success of himself appears to be his persistent injury problems for he is statistically speaking a player with the raw qualities to rival the very best full-backs in the league.
