Arsenal star Kieran Tierney names former Celtic captain Scott Brown as best he's played with

Arsenal and Scotland star Kieran Tierney has named former Celtic captain Scott Brown as the best player he has played with.

The 25-year-old left back, who won eight trophies under Brown’s leadership in the east end of Glasgow before making the move to North London, also hailed the Old Firm derby as the biggest game he has played in.

He made the move from Celtic to the Gunners in 2019 for a Scottish record fee of £25m and has played in some high-profile games including the North London derby against Spurs and the FA Cup final at Wembley.

But he still insists that he is yet to experience anything that comes to the atmosphere created when Glasgow’s big two collide.

Tierney was speaking as a guest on YouTube channel Toppersgolf and the ex-Celtic fan favourite revealed he still has fond memories of playing for his boyhood heroes, particularly when it came to playing their fiercest rivals.

He said: “The biggest game, pressure wise, would be Celtic-Rangers.

“That derby is something else, it’s mental, especially when you are from there and know how it means to people.

“The games like that you are always going to miss, I still get excited just watching them.”

The defender has become a popular figure among the Gunners support by helping the club lift the FA Cup in his first season and has played 90 games despite a string of injuries.

And despite playing alongside players including Barcelona forward Patrick Aubameyang, England winger Bukayo Saka, Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and former Real Madrid youngster Martin Odegaard he singled out Brown as the best he has played with.

He said: “The best player I have played with is Scott Brown, 100%, as like a whole football player and everything he offers.

“Captain, leader, influence in the changing room, on and off the park he is the most influential player by far.

“I have played against Mbappe and Messi and both of them were just different level. Messi just roams about and you can’t get near him.

“He scored a hat-trick that night, so that wasn’t great.”

Current Fleetwood town manager Brown won 22 trophies in his 14-year stay at Celtic and captained the club to a historic nine in a row and quadruple treble between 2011 and 2020.