Kieran Tierney confessed he took a "hammering" from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta during Rangers' run to the Europa League Final. But the Celtic hero insists he enjoyed the last laugh when his manager's old club suffered heartbreak in Seville.
Arteta still holds an affinity for Ibrox after enjoying two years in Glasgow as a young midfielder and he was all over Tierney as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side came within touching distance of continental glory. But despite memorable triumphs over the likes of Red Star Belgrade, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, Rangers narrowly lost out on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt at the final hurdle.
And Tierney, who moved to Arsenal from Celtic for £25million in 2019, insists Arteta's "silence was deafening" afterwards. Speaking to Celtic favourite Chris Sutton in the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old admitted he couldn't go in too hard on the Spaniard - he's still his boss after all.
Sutton asked: "Arteta played for Rangers. Do you ever discuss that?"
And Tierney replied: "All the time. He was hammering me last season because they were in the last-16 of the Europa League, then the quarter-finals, then the semi-finals.
"After the final he never said a word! He's the boss so I can't say too much to him! Don't worry, the silence was deafening!"
Tierney featured in Arsenal's long-awaited "All or Nothing" documentary after its first episodes were unveiled this week. But it was Arteta's unusual preparation for a trip to Liverpool which grabbed most of the headlines.
The Gunners gaffer attempted to simulate the Anfield atmosphere by having speakers blare out "You'll Never Walk Alone" while his team trained. Tierney, no stranger to the Gerry and the Pacemakers' anthem from his years at Celtic, insists he loved it.
He said: "I had a great training session! I'm sure I said at the time: 'We sing it better!'"
