Top 5 young defenders from outside the Top 5 leagues in Europe

Filip Benkovic
Filip Benkovic: One for the future

#2 Kieran Tierney (Celtic)

Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney: Celtic’s rock at the back

Tierney, born in Douglas, Isle of Man has been one of the brightest young players emerging out of the Scottish shores over the course of the last 24 months. The 19-year-old left-back joined his boyhood club Celtic as a 7-year-old and was involved with their development squad until the 2014 season when he began knocking on the doors of the senior squad owing to his performances.

He made his senior debut on 22nd April 2015 in a League game against Dundee United and followed it up with a stellar 2015-16 season, where he established himself as his side’s first choice left-back. His performances deservedly earned him the Players’ and Writers’ young player award for the season.

Tierney possesses blistering pace and also has a great final delivery that has made him one of the feared full-backs in the Scottish Premier League. Tidy in possession and capable of defending against pacy wingers, he uses his pace and ability to dislodge the opposition off the ball effectively, Tierney has developed a reputation for being one of the few technically sound young full-backs in Scotland.

Quick Links

Edited by Staff Editor
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications