Celtic defender Kieran Tierney claims that new manager Brendan Rodgers was the main reason why he decided to reject a move to the Premier League and stay on at Celtic.
Tierney revealed there was a “big bid” on the table from an unnamed club last summer but he needed little convincing to ignore it.
The Daily Record claim a £10million bid came from Arsenal for 19-year-old following his brilliant breakthrough season with the Scottish champions.
Tierney was not interested and stayed at Celtic to become a crucial part of the team that made Scottish Premier League history this campaign as they recorded an unbeaten league season, winning 34 matches and only drawing four times.
Speaking with the Daily Record, Tierney revealed that ,although he intended to remain a Celtic player regardless of the money involved, Rodgers still had a massive impact on his decision to stay at Celtic Park.
“The manager came in last year and I had been told already there was a big bid there,” he said.
“It was a dream season for me last year individually and the manager said he wanted me to stay and sign a deal.
“As soon as I trained under him, there was no convincing needed. I was going to stay at Celtic anyway.
“It’s always flattering to hear other clubs are interested but I had no doubt in my mind I wanted to stay.
“The money factor is what a lot of people care about.
“All I was working towards was earning a new deal at Celtic. I wasn’t looking to move somewhere else.
“The club could have brought in anybody as manager and I would have stayed but after speaking to Brendan I knew something special was happening.
“The way he spoke to me for 10 minutes after the first day at training was brilliant. That has continued all year.”
It’s been a massive year for Tierney in terms of his development as he’s had the chance to play on the big stage in the Champions League, playing against teams such as Barcelona and Manchester City.
The 19-year-old has been a first team regular throughout the season, making 39 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals from the fullback position.
Tierney has also found himself part of the Scottish national team this season, making two appearances in the World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Slovenia.