Celtic teenager Kieran Tierney hoping to continue helping Hoops
Celtic's teenage defender Kieran Tierney is glad to have developed into a 90-minute man.
The 18-year-old left-back has earned rave reviews since ousting Honduras international Emilio Izaguirre this season.
However, Tierney, a product of the Hoops' academy, insists he does not yet feel established and is simply happy at being still on the pitch when the final whistle blows.
"I've played seven 90 minutes in a row now so I'm delighted with that," he said, ahead of the visit of Dundee in the Ladbrokes Premiership on Wednesday night.
"At the start of the season I was getting to 70, 75 minutes and was having to come off because I was tired, but I'm getting used to it.
"I don't know when I'll ever feel like that (first-team regular). Just now I still feel like a young boy. I don't think it's a bad thing.
"It means I still need to work hard in training and work my hardest to get picked at the weekend.
"It has been great for me. Every young boy's dream is to play first-team football and I've been playing for weeks on weeks now so hopefully it continues."
Tierney"s last appearances for Celtic was in the 1-1 draw against Hamilton at New Douglas Park last Friday night.
Second-placed Aberdeen's 1-1 draw with St Johnstone the following day meant the Hoops remain six points clear at the top of the table.
Tierney is looking to get back to winning ways against sixth-placed Dundee, who are unbeaten in seven, four of which are in the league.
"We were disappointed we didn't get three points against Hamilton," he said. "We're looking forward to getting back to winning ways. We'll work hard and hopefully we can.
"Dundee will be a tough team to beat. They'll come prepared and they're a good, organised team so they'll be hard to break down.
"They have a few dangers up front and on the right wing as well. If I'm playing left-back then I'll have a lot to do."
Visiting boss Paul Hartley admits he will look at the bigger picture of their Old Firm double header when he picks his Celtic Park line-up.
Hartley is set to be without injured centre-backs Darren O'Dea and Thomas Konrad for Wednesday night's trip.
Dundee return to Glasgow for a Saturday lunchtime kick-off against Rangers in the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-finals and Hartley is mindful of the need for a fresh team at Ibrox.
Hartley said: "We've got two big games coming up, there is no doubt about that, and there is not a lot of rest in-between, so we have to pick a team that we think can cope in this game and pick a team that can cope in the next game.
"We are going to have to use up a lot of energy on Wednesday night. It doesn't matter when you go there, you have to make sure you work hard to get any sort of result, and we know we have not got much rest between the next game. So I have to think about the best team to put out."
O'Dea will not face his former club after going off halfway through Dundee's weekend draw with Inverness with a groin injury.
"He will miss out," Hartley said. "He has had a scan and it's not too bad so we are hopeful he can be involved at the weekend."
Konrad pulled out before the Caley Thistle clash with an ankle problem and Hartley added: "He's probably going to struggle. 'He tried doing a little bit of training today and still didn't feel right. He will be ruled out also.
"We had a team in our mind but that has obviously changed now because of the injuries we have got. 'But it's up to the guys that have not really played to come in and, if they get an opportunity, to go and play."
With James McPake out with a long-term knee injury, Daryll Meggatt comes back into contention following hernia surgery for the central defensive slots filled by Julen Etxabeguren and Kostadin Gadzhalov during Saturday's second-half.
"We have had a lot of problems there but I think we have a big enough squad to cope with that, especially in that area," Hartley said.
Dundee are aiming to atone for their 6-0 loss at Parkhead in September in their most recent meeting with the champions.
"Yes, we had a bad result but I think we have got better since then," Hartley said. "Results show that.
"We feel we can get a result against anybody. It will be no different on Wednesday night, we will send a team out we feel can win the game."
Source: PAR
