When my friends back home read about my new lifestyle they’ll say ‘you’ve changed, man’, says Celtic hero Kieran Tierney
CELTIC hero Kieran Tierney can't wait to get his teeth into a Champions League knockout tie against Kylian Mbappe and PSG - even if he will miss tonight's first leg with injury.
But Scotland's Real Sociedad star is loving the life out in San Sebastian, where he has even taken to taking photos of some of the local gastronomic delights on offer, including the chuleton steak.
As he jokes, these lifestyle changes just be enough for some of his old pals growing up in Lanarkshire and in the Celtic youth ranks to struggle to recognise him.
The on-loan Arsenal star - sure to be a key man for Scotland at Euro 2024 - told the Daily Mail: "It is the best I have had in my life.
"I'm not big on taking pictures of food but I make an exception when I order that.
"And there's a dish that's rice and clams. 'See, just me saying this, I can see my mates saying: "You've changed man!
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'"When would you ever eat rice with clams? You never got that growing up".'
Tierney has also addressed the topic of his future - where he has two year's remaining on his current deal.
He was widely linked with a return to Glasgow this summer to link up with ex-boss Brendan Rodgers - with the Hoops yet to fill their left back position.
Asked if his future will lead back to Arsenal, Tierney said: ‘It’s hard to say.
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"I loved my time there and I still have two years on the contract.
"I am still learning every single day but I think I am adapting to how they want to play and it’s more natural to me now."
He sees similarities between the culture at Celtic and at Real Sociedad, where youngsters come through the academy dreaming of playing for the club.
He said: "These boys here are like me playing for Celtic.
"Growing up, the club is all you know and all you want. When I was there in the first team there were maybe four or five from the academy but here it’s more like 13 — it’s on the next level.
"You can tell they have been playing with each other for years.
"It’s second nature — they don’t need to think about what decision they take."
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