“I’m genuinely happy because he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met” – Kieran Tierney hails Arsenal teammate’s character after ‘amazing’ performances this season

Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney has lavished praise on teammate William Saliba for his amazing performances this season.

The 21-year-old has been solid at the heart of their defense and played a critical role in their flying start to the Premier League campaign.

Saliba returned to north London following a successful loan spell with Marseille last season. He picked up the Man of the Match award in their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on the opening day of this campaign.

He hasn't looked back since, establishing himself as one of the most in-form centre-backs in the English top flight right now.

Tierney has now heaped praise on the Frenchman, whom he also revealed was one of the nicest people he's met. Speaking to Football Daily, the Scotsman said:

“Saliba's done amazing. I'm genuinely happy because he's one of the nicest people I've ever met. Probably found it tough when he came in because he was young, had to go on loan a few times."

He added:

“It just shows the character he has to come back and fit right into the team like he's been here for the last 2-3 years.”

Saliba first signed for Arsenal in 2019 following his breakout year with Saint-Étienne. However, he returned to club for a loan spell immediately, followed by stints with OGC Nice and Marseille.

He found his feet with the latter, starring for Les Olympiens as they achieved a second-place finish in the 2021-22 season of Ligue 1.

Marseille were interested in keeping him for another season while a few other European clubs also showed interest, but Saliba returned to the Emirates.

The Gunners play Leeds United at Elland Road in the Premier League on Sunday.

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Arsenal are the real deal this season

Arsenal have certainly taken the new season by storm, blowing teams away in the Premier League as well as the Europa League.

With eight wins and 24 points from their opening nine games, the Gunners have made their best start to a top-flight campaign since the 2007-08 season. They are at the top of the league table and have already beaten the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

In Europe, Mikel Arteta's side boast a 100% win record from three games and look favorites to progress into the knockout stages as group winners.

Led by a menacing attacking unit and backed by a solid defense, Arsenal are currently a well-oiled unit. They look very likely to win a few trophies at the end of the campaign.