Kieran Tierney opens up on his first week with Real Sociedad – Zoom lessons, Google research and why he’s smiling again
ON Saturday afternoon it was Granada.
But in a fortnight it will be mighty Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Little wonder new Real Sociedad loan signing Kieran Tierney is feeling on top of the football world again.
He endured ten months of frustration and self doubt at Arsenal as he was stuck on the bench before, remarkably, it had got to the stage he wasn’t even a substitute.
Tierney has nothing but great regard and affection for the Gunners. That will never be up for debate.
But over the last few weeks it became abundantly clear to all that he had to leave the Emirates.
Now he’s in Basque territory and the 26-year-old’s La Liga debut — 69 minutes in a 5-3 home win at the Reale Arena — came after a whirlwind few days of swapping bustling London for the coastal city of Donostia-San Sebastian.
His next league fixture after the international break is Madrid at the Bernabeu on September 17, followed by the visit of Inter Milan three days later.
In his first major interview since taking his career abroad, Tierney told SunSport: “I’m buzzing to have played my first La Liga game.
“My family’s really proud of me, that’s what matters.
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“I need match fitness and I wanted to play longer. But it’s understandable I was taken off in the second half. I’ve not started a competitive game for about four months.
“When I was a kid I’d watch any football that was on the television, including La Liga. It’s an unbelievable league with amazing clubs and I’m excited.
“I was nervous before the game. It’s a new beginning. New country, new language, new club, new team-mates, new league.
“But it provided everything I wanted. I’ve always wanted to play abroad.
“Real Sociedad is a very proud club in a passionate Basque region. They don’t tend to sign many foreign players, historically they’ve had mainly players from the area.
“So it’s an incredible show of faith. It’s an honour and a pleasure for me to play for Real Sociedad and all I want to do is repay the manager and everyone else at the club.
“The welcome has been outstanding. It’s the best dressing room I could have wished for.
“Many boys are from the Basque Country. There’s about 15 of the players who have come through the academy.
“The stadium, the training ground, everything is first class and the city is beautiful.
“From the moment I heard they were interested I started doing research on the club and city. I was straight on Google.
“Real Sociedad very quickly became my first choice.
“My Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who has played for the club, was able to tell me everything about the club and the city. He thinks it’s a great move for me. Martin’s been a massive help.
“I had different options but told my agent that my heart was set on Real Sociedad and from the first moment I arrived I knew it was 100 per cent for me. Everyone’s made me feel wanted.
“There’s a few Spanish coaches at Arsenal and they all said that personally and professionally I’d love it at Real Sociedad. They felt it was a great moment to go there.
“The manager, coaches, staff and team-mates couldn’t have done any more for me before Saturday.
“It’s not an easy thing to go to a new country and have a few days to adapt before making your debut, especially when you haven’t played for so long.
“A lot of credit must go to the people at the club. I felt I did well, but there’s so much more to come from me.
“I played with a smile on my face and I’ve been doing that in training too.”
Tierney’s done plenty in football already. Four titles at Celtic, three straight years as Scotland’s Young Player of the Year, over 100 games for Arsenal and an FA Cup.
But his attitude right now is that he’s starting again.
Tierney said: “It does feel like that a bit. I need to prove myself to Real Sociedad, to show why they brought me here and of course to the fans.
“It was the same when I broke through at Celtic and when I went to Arsenal.
“But I love the challenge. I’m trying to embrace everything here, the culture, the language.
“Learning the language as best I can is very important. It’s about showing respect to everyone.
“The club have provided a tutor and while I’m with Scotland I’ll be having Zoom lessons. I’ve got Spanish and Basque to learn. I’m loving it.
“In a few months I want to be able to have a proper conversation with the players in their language.
“That shows respect. Going abroad as a player, you should always want to do that.”
Sociedad also face Benfica and Salzburg in Champions League Group D.
He added: “It’s going to be brilliant. Hopefully I’ll be involved and if I am then it will be something no one can take away from me.
“I’m the first Scottish player to play for Real Sociedad and that’s the kind of thing you can also tell your grandkids.
“The Bernabeu’s one of the biggest and greatest stadiums in the world. These are the places you want to play.
“The San Siro’s another and we’ve got Inter Milan in the Champions League.
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“Even without the Champions League, I would have still been attracted to Real Sociedad.”
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