Ex-Celtic star Kieran Tierney opens up on Arsenal Premier League dream as he hails boss Mikel Arteta
THE last time Arsenal won the league, it was with their awesome Invincibles.
Patrick Vieira, Ashley Cole, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell and Dennis Bergkamp.
Close on 600 caps between them, yet just a few of the legends available to Arsene Wenger for that remarkable 2003/04 campaign.
Now, 19 years on, Kieran Tierney finds himself following in their giant footsteps as a key part of a Mikel Arteta-led Gunners squad looking so commanding at the top of the Premier League.
The Scot admits he’s dreaming of securing his own place in Arsenal’s history books as a title winner.
But even if they do finally end that agonising wait for a 14th crown, there is no chance Scotland star Tierney will ever see himself on a par with Wenger’s greats.
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As he prepared to face Erik ten Hag’s rejuvenated Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday, Tierney, a four-time champion with Celtic, told SunSport: “We’re in the hunt for everything.
“Every competition, we want to go as far as possible — and the league’s no different.
“We want to win everything we’re taking part in.
“The boys have got a lot of confidence, but we also know how hard our league is to win.
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“It’s about being the most consistent team over 38 games.
“We’re under no illusion it’s going to be the hardest second half of a season we’ll have. But we’re up for it.
“Coming down here, my objective was to be a winner and I was lucky enough to win the FA Cup.
“But you always want to win the league, you always want to say you’ve done this and you’ve done that.
“What a remarkable achievement it would be. Again, though, it’s a long way away yet. We’re in a great position to go on and do it and finish the season strongly.
“However, the teams fighting for this title are some of the best in the world, teams willing to go and spend crazy amounts of money.
“That’s how big this league is. Every team, every owner, wants to win the title.
“So it’s one of the biggest challenges in football.
“But I wouldn’t have joined Arsenal if I didn’t have dreams and aspirations to do that.
“When you mention names like Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira, I see them as legends.
“I could never say that if were to win the league we’d be like them. I find it hard to compare it like that.
“But to be the next team to win the league after them for Arsenal is a big enough incentive.”
It’s hard to believe a club of the Gunners’ stature has gone 19 years without title glory.
Back then, they won 26, drew 12 and famously lost none, eclipsing second-placed Chelsea by 11 points.
But that tortuous wait is fuelling the motivation for a superb Arteta side captained by the outstanding Martin Odegaard.
Tierney, 25, added: “It would be amazing, there’s no doubt about it.
“What the fans have given us these last few years, they deserve success.
“They have always been with us when times have been tough. We finished eighth two seasons ago, and just missed out on the Champions League last season.
“So to give the support something is the most important thing. They are the people who keep us going.”
Tierney is inspired by Arteta’s pumped-up approach, his highly emotional, animated style highlighted in the recent All Or Nothing fly-on-the-wall documentary series.
Gunners chiefs stuck with the Spaniard through hard times, and KT said: “Fans need to feel like everyone’s willing to fight for their club. For the money they spend, that’s what they want to see.
“We needed time and the manager needed time to get the squad and players he wanted, then the chance to adjust. I think it’s clicked so well this season, especially.
“The directors knew what the manager was doing, and what his message to us was every day in training. They would also have known how much we believed in it. The gaffer deserves an awful lot of credit for what he’s transformed us into.
“But we’re only 18 games in. The manager is obsessed with football and being a manager, and getting his message across to the players, though. I think you need that.
“He is full-on, from the minute you get into the training ground to the minute you leave.
“And if you’ve got a manager like that, you’ve got every chance.
“Every game for Arsenal is a different challenge and it’s hard — but I love that.
“That’s what motivated me when I did make the move from Celtic. I wanted to challenge myself against the best teams and best players.”
KT has played in 24 of Arsenal’s 26 games so far this season, starting a dozen of them.
On competing with Ukrainian ace Oleksandr Zinchenko for a left-sided slot at the back, though, he said: “What a player he is.
“He’s such a great guy as well. It’s good competition for me.
“I’ll just keep trying every day to do the best I can, work hard and, when called upon, give everything.
“I’ve not started many games. But there’s also only a few games where I’ve not come on.
“It’s a long season and it’s not just 11 players needed, it’s the full squad.
“There are different ways you can vent your disappointment. One way is to not try and openly show you don’t care.
“But there’s another way — you work hard and give your all for the team, you try to push as much as you can and, when called upon, you give everything.
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“And that’s the way I choose.”
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