Speaking on BT Sport (Sunday, 09:22 pm), Joe Cole has shared what he noticed Arsenal star Kieran Tierney doing after the final whistle against West Brom.
The Gunners had a comfortable night at the office thanks to three fantastic goals from Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe and Willian.
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Bukayo Saka, at left-back, was the star of the show in the first half, but the youngster was moved further forward for the last 30 minutes of the game to accommodate Tierney.
The Scotsman didn’t have a lot to do. He didn’t have to put in 110% like he always does. The game was dead and buried, and since he didn’t do much, he stepped out after his teammates left the pitch to practice some more.
That caught Cole’s eye. The former Premier League star heaped praise on Tierney’s character and desire to take the club forward, and he wasn’t surprised that many fans view him as a future captain.
He said: “Just a little quick mention, Tierney came out here after he’s played 30 minutes and he was practising his crossing.
“We talked about characters at Arsenal, a lot of the Arsenal fans have been calling for him to be a captain of this club. And to do that when you’re coming back from injury shows to me that he has got his finger on the pulse. He has got the desire to take the club forward.”
The Insider’s View:
There’s absolutely no question about Tierney’s quality, desire, character and commitment on the pitch. The Scotsman is a fantastic example of how a player should be at the top-level, but it’s just a shame that he hasn’t been able to play every game.
Tierney has missed 54 days this season due to injury. He has had to sit out a total of 28 games since he joined Arsenal and that really has held him back.
If the former Celtic man is fully fit, there aren’t many left-backs in the world who are on the same level as him. As Arsenal fans, we can only hope and pray that injuries stay far away from him next season.
