Arsenal star says goodbyes after playing final ever game at Emirates Stadium
Kieran Tierney has all-but played his final game for Arsenal at the Emirates. The Scotland international, who is closing in on a return to Celtic, came on in the 74th minute against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.
Tierney, 27, is out of contract at the end of the season but Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is eager to bring him back to Parkhead this month. Greg Taylor's long-term future is uncertain and the Hoops think Tierney can come and slot straight in for the second half of the campaign.
But as Tierney's move to Celtic has not been confirmed, he is still part of Mikel Arteta's squad and was named on the bench to face Dinamo in the Champions League. With the Gunners 2-0 up and cruising, Arteta decided to bring Tierney on for Oleksandr Zinchenko with just over a quarter of an hour to go.
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Tierney received a warm reception from the Arsenal fans as he entered the pitch - an unsurprising welcome considering the service he has given over the last five-and-a-half years. Yes, the Scot has suffered with injuries but some forget the impact he made during the first couple of seasons.
He made the left-back berth his own for three years and battled Zinchenko for that spot during the 2022/23 campaign. His cameo against Dinamo was his 128th appearance for the Gunners and it could be his final - at least at home - in an Arsenal shirt as his move to Celtic edges ever closer.
During his time on the pitch against Dinamo, Tierney was impressive. He was comfortable on the ball and didn't look like someone that was on his way out. Although he is set to join Celtic, some Arsenal fans feel he still has a future at the club and are disappointed that he is going to depart in the next fortnight.
As Arsenal are away for their next two matches - a trip to Wolves in the Premier League and Girona in the Champions League - Tierney has appeared to have played his final home game for the Gunners.
