SOME Celtic fans reckon Kieran Tierney is crazy to walk out on the Hoops’ 10-in-a-row bid.
But Ryan Christie insists his pal would have been MAD to reject a £25million move to Arsenal.
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KT’s departure to the Premier League hasn’t gone down well with a section of the Celtic support.
Many feel let down that the boyhood fan has chosen the Gunners over a chance to make history.
Yet Christie insists some opportunities are too good to turn down, and reckons Tierney had to take the £25million switch.
Christie, 24, said: “It’s an emotional reaction, which always happens when such a good player has come through the ranks and then moves on.
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“In a few months, when everyone looks back on this, I’m sure there will be no ill-feeling towards Kieran.
“They will realise the opportunity that has been put in front of KT, and that he’d have been mad not to take it.
“Everyone was gutted to see him leave the club. He was a brilliant guy, and everyone loved having him in the changing room.
“Sadly, we didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to Kieran properly.
“We only really found out on our day off on Thursday, but in football you never know when it’s going to be the last time you see someone at the club.
“I texted him on Thursday night to say ‘Good luck’, and I’m sure he received many more messages.
“But we wish Kieran all the best, and he certainly deserved his move after what he’d done in the previous seasons.”
Tierney’s departure is a huge blow for Celtic, but it’s a boost for the Scottish game that a top English club is willing to pay £25m for a homegrown youngster.
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Christie loves seeing his Scotland pals shine in the Premier League, and expects KT to be the next one.
He added: “I’m putting a lot of pressure on Kieran, but it will do the whole of Scottish football good if he succeeds at Arsenal.
“The English game gets all the hype and all the money, but hopefully, Kieran can go down there and help to prove Scottish football isn’t a backwater.
“We have a few who have already done well — Andy Robertson, Ryan Fraser and John McGinn, for example — and they put us on the map.
“When you see some of the figures thrown about down south, for defenders and not even attacking players, then £25million is quite a good deal for KT.
“You would have been amazed by that fee even five years ago, but not any longer.
“Watching the Scottish boys do well in the Premier League is an inspiration to kids, definitely.
“Those guys aren’t just making up the numbers either, and I hope KT stands out too and shows how good he is.
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“It’s also good for the Scotland team to have so many people doing well at a high level. For them to come into the international set-up from the Premier League is great.
“English clubs are hoovering up talent from all over the world, but if the Scots who go down there can hold their own then it’s fantastic for our game.”
Tierney was the only deadline day exit at Celts, with the champs making it clear to Leicester and old boss Brendan Rodgers that Callum McGregor wasn’t for sale.
Christie insists that stance shows the Parkhead board are serious about maintaining their domestic dominance, and progressing in Europe.
He said: “I think that shows the ambition of Celtic. I’m sure they tried their best to hold on to KT, but to keep Callum on deadline day leaves us all buzzing that he’s staying.
“I’d rather have lost neither of them. But Callum picking up Player of the Year last season shows how well he did.
“The way he plays his game, everyone works around him in midfield, and that was vital for the whole of last season.
“That’s why he won that award. To keep a player of that stature at the club is brilliant.”
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English clubs will probably be tracking Christie too as he continues to impress for Celtic, but he’s happy to concentrate on getting to the Champions League.
Christie, who has begun the season in stunning fashion, added: “KT is going down to England to play against some of the best teams in the Premier League.
“But we want to test ourselves against the same kind of teams in European football.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but it would be nice to play Champions League football.
“Every season everyone here is desperate to get into it. We all want to play against the best teams and players in the world.
“Everyone knows if you can push into the group stages it will benefit the club all over.”
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Celts are back in Premiership action at Motherwell, just 72 hours after the first-leg qualifier in Cluj.
That tie in Romania took a lot out of Neil Lennon’s squad, but Christie insists they are ready for Fir Park.
He said: “It’s difficult when there’s such a quick turnaround, but we are used to it.
KT COMEBACK Ex-Celtic star Kieran Tierney out for four to six weeks, say Arsenal
“We’ve been doing this season after season, and we know how to turn ourselves over and get ourselves prepared for the games at the weekend.
“It’s so early in the domestic season we want to get off to a good start. That’s something we’ve talked about. We all know how important the Champions League is, but you can’t put the domestic games aside.”
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