JAN 2026 PREVIEW: KIERAN TIERNEY NAMED ROLE MODEL FOR CELTIC'S UPCOMING WINTER TRANSFER WINDOW
Wilfried Nancy hails Kieran Tierney as the perfect role model for Celtic. Discover why personality is key for January transfers.
Celtic's manager, Wilfried Nancy, is sticking up for Kieran Tierney and says he’s a role model for any new players joining in January.
Tierney's been under the microscope lately because of his playing time and how fit he is since coming back from Arsenal.
The Scottish defender hasn't been able to play a full 90 minutes consistently, but he's scored some important goals.
Like his late goal against Aberdeen last week, which gave Celtic their first win under Nancy after four losses.
Nancy really liked what he saw from Tierney. He thinks the new system, with three defenders at the back, could be perfect for Tierney, since he's played that way for Scotland before.
Nancy mentioned that Tierney and Callum McGregor are important leaders, both on and off the field. He says that personality will be a big thing he looks for in any January signings.
Kieran Tierney is celebrating his big goal against Aberdeen with his teammate, James Forrest.
The Celtic defender showed up at the far post to score against the 10-man Dons.
Wilfried Nancy is trying to get his point across to Tierney during a tough start.
Nancy said, Personality matters. We have skill in how we play.
When you sign someone, they need to have the right personality. This club is huge, and it's not always easy to play here. So, it's super important to have players who can handle it.
Everyone knows Kieran. I knew him a bit before I got here. He’s important.
There are different kinds of leaders. Kieran leads by example on the field, not so much with words. Callum does both. We have other players like that, too.
When I talk about personality, it's not just about being loud. It's about having the right attitude when things get tough.
Can we keep showing up for each other when we're attacking? Can we still press hard? Can we defend like crazy when we need to? It's about the attitude. That's what I'm after.
Kieran has played this system before with the national team. Of course, I talked to him about it and knew he could do it.
People have been saying that Tierney hasn't been able to play a full game since his return from Arsenal.
He's played 90 minutes in a few games now. Before, it was 60 minutes to help him get back to playing full-time.
We’ve been working on that. I think you'll see more from him. I'm not shocked by what he's doing. I know he can do even better, fitness-wise, too.
The plan isn't just to have him play 90 minutes every time, but to make sure he's at his best when it counts.
Celtic had a rocky start under Nancy, but they finally won 3-1 against Aberdeen last weekend, after losing four in a row.
They're now six points behind Hearts, who are leading the league, but they have one game in hand.
Nancy and his players are playing Livingston today—the team at the bottom. Then they have two important games against Motherwell and Rangers next week.
The coach mentioned that he'll keep pushing his players to get better so they can start winning more games.
Tierney's big moment this season was scoring a key goal for Scotland against Denmark.
He said, I think some players can do better in certain spots, but I'm happy with what I have right now.
I want to push them because they can do more than they think. That's how they'll get better.
We won against Aberdeen, but I’m going to push harder this week, because I know we can do better.
It's all about talking to the players and pointing them in the right direction. They're up for it. I won’t push anyone too hard if they can't handle it.
When you challenge someone, and they enjoy it, that’s the sweet spot.
This is my first time coaching at this time of year. It's new to me. Usually, at Christmas, I’d have time off.
But I’m loving it. When I was in Europe or America, I enjoyed waking up and watching games. Now I’m part of it. It’s different, but I like it a lot.
This is Nancy’s first time facing Livingston—a team that’s known for being tough and good at set pieces and for their tricky artificial pitch.
He added, I’ve played a few games on a plastic pitch before. My staff has prepped me on Livingston—the stadium, pitch, and play style.
Nancy is getting ready for his first game on Livingston's turf at their stadium.
I’m going to watch some videos. We know it’ll be hard. We respect them, but we want to focus on our game and play well.
Set pieces are important in modern football, especially here with the physicality. The goal is to compete. We know they're going to be bigger than us.
First, we need to try and avoid giving away set pieces. Second, we need to focus, compete with the big guys, attack the ball, and be great on the follow-up.
We’re ready for that, even though it will be tough. We’ve had a good week, and we’re up for it.
WHY DID CRISTIANO RONALDO CRY? LUKA MODRIC EXPOSES JOSE MOURINHO’S HARSHEST LECTURE
Luka Modric reveals Jose Mourinho once reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to tears at Real Madrid for failing to track back defensively.
Luka Modric says that Jose Mourinho once gave Cristiano Ronaldo such a harsh lecture that the guy was in tears.
Ronaldo, who's 40 now, played really well under Mourinho, who's 62. They were together at Real Madrid for three seasons, but apparently, they didn't always get along off the field.
Even though things got off to a slow start, the Portuguese superstar still managed to score 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho. He also helped Mourinho win three trophies in his first two seasons.
But get this: even with superstars like Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria on his team, Mourinho was still super critical of Ronaldo's effort on defense.
Modric, who Mourinho signed from Tottenham back in 2013, told a story about one argument that made Ronaldo cry. Apparently, it was because he didn't chase after his assigned player.
"I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room," Modric told Corriere della Sera, an Italian news outlet. Can you believe it? A guy who always gives it his all on the field, and he's getting yelled at because he didn't chase some defender.
Modric moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and only played under Mourinho for a year.
Modric, who played alongside Kaka and Mesut Ozil in the midfield after arriving for a big £33 million, didn't say which game the argument happened in.
Guillem Balague, a Spanish soccer journalist, wrote in Ronaldo's biography that Ronaldo and Mourinho almost fought after Mourinho yelled at him in the locker room following a 2-0 win against Valencia in January 2013.
Mourinho was mad because Ronaldo didn't seem willing to help out on defense during the game. And Ronaldo supposedly replied, After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me!
Later that season, which turned out to be Mourinho's last with the team, Ronaldo was constantly asked about Mourinho's future. "I don't care," he said once. What I care about is my own future and the club.
This was a big change from earlier that year, when Mourinho said before the 2012 Ballon d'Or race, If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe!
After Mourinho left Real Madrid, he went on Spanish TV to talk about what caused the problems between him and Ronaldo.
"I only had one problem with him," he said. It was simple. When a coach gives a player feedback on tactics, they are trying to help them get better, in my opinion. He didn't take it well because he probably thinks he knows everything, and the coach can't help him.
Mourinho also said that they didn't really have a relationship. But time seemed to fix things, as he later said that coaching Ronaldo was the best thing that ever happened in his career.
Ronaldo also seemed to warm up to Mourinho later on, even saying that he was the best coach he ever had, even better than Sir Alex Ferguson. "I'd put him at the top; I always say that," Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo scored 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho during their three years together.
Even though Modric didn't win any trophies in his first season at Madrid, he was so impressed by Mourinho that he repeated something Mourinho famously said about himself.
He's special, as a coach and as a person, Modric said. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid. I wouldn't have come without him. I'm sad I only had him for one season.
Modric spent 13 years at Real Madrid, mostly managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Now he's at AC Milan and managed by Massimiliano Allegri. But he says Mourinho is the toughest of the three.
He added, "Mourinho is really direct with the players, but he's honest." He treated Sergio Ramos and new players the same way. If he had something to say, he'd say it. Max is the same way. He tells you what's right and wrong to your face. Honesty is key.
Modric also shared his opinion on the never-ending debate of who's better, Lionel Messi or Ronaldo, but said he doesn't really like talking about it.
"I don't like that question," he said. They both defined an era. I'm closer to Cristiano because I played with him; he was my teammate at Madrid, and I can tell you he's not just a great player, he's an amazing person. People don't know it, but he has a big heart and is always ready to help others. He's just a simple, normal guy.
He added, "I don't know Messi personally, but I'm sure he's great too." As a player, he's incredible.
CELTIC FANS DEMAND BOARD SACK WILFRIED NANCY AFTER SHOCK MOTHERWELL DEFEAT TONIGHT
Wilfried Nancy dismisses sack talk after Celtic's 2-0 loss at Motherwell. With Rangers closing in, the Old Firm looms large.
After Celtic's fifth loss in seven games under his leadership, Wilfried Nancy brushed off ideas that Saturday's Old Firm game would decide his future.
Tuesday's match at Fir Park, called 'El Passico' due to both teams' open play styles, saw Motherwell outperform the Frenchman's team. Ibrahim Said and Elliot Watt scored on either side of halftime.
The 2-0 defeat, Celtic's 17th this year, meant Hearts stayed three points ahead in the league, while Rangers closed in, now just three points behind Nancy's squad after a 2-1 victory over St Mirren.
At the end of the game, visiting fans chanted for the board to be sacked, and some even demanded the manager's immediate dismissal. When asked if his first derby was a make-or-break moment, Nancy responded, No, not really. Every game matters to me and the team.
I'm not focused on my future. I'm focusing on what I'm doing now, what I need to do to help the team get better, and what we need to do as a team to improve. That's how I see it.
When asked if he understood the fans' deep worry about the lack of progress during his time, Nancy was indignant.
Progress? "There is progress," he insisted. But tonight, the situation and the opponent were tough.
This is a fact. Now, we need to figure out how to get better, and that's what we've been working on from the start. Tonight was rough. That's the truth.
When questioned about feeling the pressure after such a bad start as the champion's manager, Nancy added, As a manager, I don't want this, obviously.
Pressure doesn't change how I think. We know we have to perform well.
But right now, this is how it is. I knew it could be like this. We've had good games at times. Tonight was a hard one.
Regarding whether he was sure he could turn things around, Nancy said, Yes, I'm sure. I had to make some choices about the team tonight. I believe in what we're trying to do and where we're going. This was a hard game, difficult for us, but I think we'll improve.
Motherwell's manager, Jens Berthel Askou, praised his team, saying it was probably their best game of the season.
"We knew we'd probably need our best, most solid, and most complete performance, both with and without the ball, to win," he said.
We've had really big and good performances, but they haven't led to wins against Rangers or Celtic. So, that's what we got, and that's what we needed. It was amazing to see.