IN ONLY his second formal press conference as Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers offered one name that had immediately caught his eye: Kieran Tierney.

Speaking as Ladbrokes announced the fixtures for the  season away back on a balmy June evening out at the Kelpies, Rodgers had barely had time to get his feet under the desk. 

But it was the precocious Tierney who was first to impress. 

“The kid will be a top player,” was his first impression.

Read more: Brendan Rodgers won't rule Celtic's Moussa Dembele out of Scottish Cup final just yetGlasgow Times:

Tierney became the first player since Craig Levein 31 years ago to be voted the best youngster in the country by his fellow professionals for 
two years running when he claimed the award on Sunday evening.

And the player was quick to thank Rodgers for helping him develop from last term when he first came to prominence under Ronny Deila.

“Last season was great for me and I think it was a great achievement to win it thenbecause I was only 18 and just coming on to the scene,” he said.

“The manager has been very important to me. He is always encouraging and he is always positive. Everything is great.

“You just have to work hard for him and the team he has around him. The backroom staff are brilliant and help me every single day.

“It is a privilege [to win the award]. I don’t know how many players have done it, but for me it’s an honour. It’s a surprise for me to win it this year because the competition was brilliant and anyone could have won it. 

“Maybe the long spell I was out is why people voted for me because I’ve come back and still looked as strong as I was or maybe even stronger.”

The 19-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs, Chelsea being the latest team to keep tabs on him. 

However, with a five-year deal signed last year and a clear commitment to Celtic, it is unlikely the player will have his head turned by transfer chat; especially as he is well used to turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to those around him.

“Last year people asked me if I was scared of second-season syndrome,” he said. 

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“It has happened to players before, but you try to blank that sort of thing out. 

“If you let it get to you and think about things like that too much, the mental side will get to you.  

“But I work under a great manager and have great team-mates who have helped me win this award. I still have a long way to go.”

IT SEEMS unlikely given the FA’s reluctance to look north of the border but Tierney could yet face friend and colleague Scott Sinclair in a Scotland v England battle this summer. 

The teams are due to meet at Hampden on June 10, with Tierney a cert to play against Gareth Southgate’s side in the FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Sinclair’s performances this season have garnered recognition in Scotland but whether it is sufficient to knock on the England door would still 
appear unlikely. Not that Tierney has discounted it.

“I think he does deserve a call-up,” the 19-year-old said. “I think a winger is one of the hardest positions to have consistency and he’s shown it. The amount of goals he scores and the amount he creates is incredible.

“I don’t know how it would turn out if we came face-to-face against each other. I’d need to catch him first!”

Tierney played on the opposite side at right-back in his last outing for the national team and he will have no complaints if he is asked to repeat the role.

“If I’m in the squad and I’m told to play there, I’m happy,” he insisted.

“I’ll play wherever the manager thinks I’ll help the team. It’s great from the manager to put that amount of trust in me as a young boy.

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“It was a must-win game and he played a 19-year-old at right-back. I’m sure a lot of people doubted that and doubted me, but it paid off.”

TIERNEY was pivotal in leading Sinclair over to the Celtic support last weekend in order that the winger could appreciate an anti-racism display set up for him.

Rodgers has spoken of the impact it had on Sinclair in the dressing room after the game and it was Tierney who sought permission from Rodgers to lead the player to the support.

“I was just letting the manager know what was going to happen and that it was the anti-racism campaign with the t-shirt,” revealed Tierney.

“I think that’s a great thing. The fans and players at Celtic are all behind Scotty.

“Obviously, I spoke to a few of the boys who were doing it and they said to get Scotty over. But he didn’t want to go by himself, so I went with him to help him.”