Kieran Tierney explains about the Tesco nickname and T-Shirts in the snow

Kieran Tierney has impressed Arsenal fans greatly since he arrived from Celtic as a raw talent and we were all even more impressed when we saw him come out on the pitch with just a T-Shirt on when you could hardly see the pitch through the snow falling, especially as some of his expensive foreign team-mates were wearing long sleeves and gloves!

Then came a training video when we heard one of his team-mates call him Tesco, which seems to have stuck as his nickname for ever more, and it was simply because he turned up at training with a Tesco Bag.

So, in an interview with FourFourTwo, he has finally explained these little foibles about his personality. He said: “When my mates from back home saw the picture of me with my boots in a carrier bag, they were straight onto me. They said I had changed, because I’d gone from Aldi and Lidl to Tesco! Everyone else commenting seemed to be talking about how refreshing it was, but my mates were slaughtering me. It wasn’t something I’d thought twice about.

“I had a pair of boots I had to take with me, and the only thing I had in the house was a Tesco bag. If they’re reading this, I’m still waiting on that endorsement deal! [Laughs]

“In terms of the t-shirts in cold weather, it’s as simple as wearing a jumper once for training when I was 15 and feeling restricted in it. I think it was snowing that night as well. I’ve worn t-shirts ever since and I’ve probably backed myself into a corner – if I suddenly went for a snood or some gloves, the medical team here would probably be concerned that I wasn’t feeling right…”

So now you all know!

One other thing the interview revealed is that he is a humble guy, but he belives that even if he isn’t the best, the one think he does is give his utmost in every game he plays. “The thing I pride myself on is determination and the will to win.” Tierney continued. “In that respect, it doesn’t matter if I’m at centre-back, left-back or wing-back. My focus is on not being beaten in a one-on-one situation or leaving a team-mate without support. If you win all of those little battles, it adds up. I might not be the best centre-back in the world or the best on the ball, but I have the determination to do the best I can. I’ll give my all – that’s probably the main thing I bring to any team. At the same time, you don’t play for a Mikel Arteta team if you don’t take in the tactical side of things. I try to listen to everything that he says and I feel fortunate to have worked with the managers I have done. They’ve all taught me something valuable.”

Well, the recent rumours are saying that the Scotsman is being rewarded for his excellent performances by earning a new long-term contract with Arsenal, and we can all agree he has certainly earned it.

Come On Tesco!