Jackie McNamara believes Kieran Tierney’s appearance numbers this season prove the clock is far from ticking on his Celtic and Scotland career.
The 28-year-old returned to Celtic last summer after spending six years at Arsenal, sparking huge excitement among supporters.
However, a long-standing hamstring injury limited his involvement in the early part of the season, prompting some fans to question whether he could still perform at the top level.
McNamara was full of praise for the way Tierney’s return to action at Parkhead was carefully managed throughout the campaign.
Tierney has now notched up 58 appearances for club and country, contributing to a league and cup Double for Martin O’Neill’s side.
McNamara said: “KT’s numbers have been excellent in terms of deliveries, assists and goals.”
The former Scotland international also highlighted a standout individual moment, adding: “Even the Scotland goal he scored against Denmark was impressive. I think he’s had a terrific season, especially with the pressure for him to come back at that point.”
McNamara acknowledged the weight of expectation surrounding Tierney’s homecoming, noting that doubts about his fitness were widespread before he proved the critics wrong.
“But his numbers show he’s handled it really well. I think Celtic have tried to manage his minutes, which you’re seeing more and more in the game now,” McNamara said.
He added that surpassing 50 appearances in a season was a clear sign that Tierney’s body had handled the demands placed upon it throughout a gruelling campaign.
McNamara can relate personally to Tierney’s journey, having featured for Scotland at France 98 just months after fearing his own World Cup dream was finished due to injury.
“Back in 1998, I had picked up an injury, I played the last three four months with it at Celtic,” McNamara said, recalling a difficult period in his own career.
He revealed that the experience left him fearing for his future, saying: “I was thinking at 25 my career was in doubt.”
However, McNamara credited proper rehabilitation for his recovery, stating: “But once you do things properly, the right rehab, and you manage how you come back and recover, I never looked back from that.”
Tierney is not the only member of Steve Clarke’s defensive setup to have faced fitness and selection concerns during the current campaign.
Right-backs Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson and Tony Ralston have managed just 25 league starts between them this season for club sides Brentford, Everton and Celtic.
Despite those numbers, McNamara is unconcerned about their lack of sharpness heading into World Cup matches against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
He pointed to the modern game’s expanded substitution rules as a major factor in easing such worries for Clarke’s squad management.
“Now you can change half your team and that’s such a big difference,” McNamara said, contrasting today’s game with the three-substitute limit that applied at France 98.
McNamara was speaking while launching the Refugee World Cup Scotland 2026 tournament, scheduled for Sunday, June 21 at Toryglen Regional Football Centre, a Wheatley Group and Glasgow Life sponsored event celebrating diversity through football.
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