KIERAN Tierney has expressed his delight after sealing a new six-year deal that ties him to Celtic until the summer of 2023.

The 20-year-old boyhood Celtic supporter, who came through the ranks at the club before making his competitive first-team debut in 2015, put pen to paper on the extension to his current deal yesterday.

The news comes as a huge boost to manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of the massive Champions League night that awaits his men against Bayern Munich at Celtic Park this evening.

Tierney told the club website: “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.”

Remarkably, Tierney is already just four appearances short of his century at the club, despite the fact he has come through periods of injury to establish himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

“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.”

Tierney is hoping that he can become a role model for the next generation of young Celtic players, just as Celtic captain Scott Brown was to him.

“When you’re younger, you always look up to the ones who’ve already done it and have stayed there,” he said.” It’s really hard to get your chance but even harder to stay in the team and get a run of games, so I’m sure the younger players are looking to do that too and hopefully they can.

“And for me, Scott Brown is the perfect role model and leader for me to look up to. Even when I was younger and playing with the 20s, he would come and watch and take the game or training.

"So, for me to know him that year and then make the step-up to the first-team helped and he was really welcoming and took me under his wing. He’s so influential for the team and so important to everyone in the changing-room.”