Something has changed about Kieran Tierney, and it's wonderful to see

Something has changed about Kieran Tierney this season, and it is wonderful to see. The Celtic left-back has a colourful history with injury, often struggling to stack up games due to his body failing him some way.

Hamstring issues ended up curtailing his time down South, and he missed some action last season, which showed the importance of back-up left-back Marcelo Saracchi.

But Tierney has played relentlessly this season, and we have only seen him deal with one short-term issues. There have been fears over the last few weeks, with Celtic dealing with an extremely busy schedule, playng mid-week every week since the last international break.

But Martin O'Neill hasn't rested him, and Tierney has dealt with it brilliantly. And he has even stayed fit for this international break.

“Kieran will bring a different profile”, Scotland boss Sebastien Pocognoli has said. "He has a fantastic left foot and is an experienced player who knows the squad. He knows what it means to play for Scotland so it is a big plus. He trained very well this week and is very focused. So that’s very interesting for me.

“He plays left-back for Celtic but in some games he has inverted. So he can also bring some offensive attributes in the back three. We are lucky to have someone with that profile.”

He added: “If we can play Kieran and Andy (Robertson) in the same team and they are fit – it is a big plus for the team. I’ve never had that kind of conversation with Kieran (about quitting Scotland).

“He was injured in the last camp and really disappointed not to be there. It was at a moment when he was managing his time on the pitch with Celtic.”

We don't want to speak too soon or jinx it, but Tierney now already has 18 appearances across all competitions under his belt this season, and his body is responding well.

That's particularly important because Celtic lack options on the left side having failed to land a proper back-up in the summer. Youngster Landon Emenalo is an option, while centre-back Liam Scales can cover, but there is no senior out-and-out left-back available.

But more importantly, it's a huge boost for Tierney, who has been battling his body for years in his bid to play week in, week out football. It's a huge win for the reliable left-back, and long may it continue you.