Real Sociedad boss has say after Kieran Tierney debut

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 3 Sept 2023 11:48 BST
• 3 min read

Kieran Tierney's debut for Real Sociedad against Granada on Saturday was met with a glowing appraisal by his new manager Imanol Alguacil.

Tierney was deemed surplus to requirements at Arsenal by Mikel Arteta this summer, and although he was linked variously to Manchester City, Newcastle and Celtic, the Scotland left-back secured a season-long loan to Sociedad.

He was handed his first start on Saturday as La Real beat Granada 5-3 at thir Estadio de Anoeta, and played 69 minutes before being subbed off for Aihen Munoz, with two of the visitors' three goals coming after he left the field of play.

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Alguacil, who steered the side back into the Champions League after a 10-year hiatus last season, was delighted with Tierney's contribution.

Tierney 'technically exquisite'

"For Kieran, our way of playing is very similar to Arsenal's," he said. "He has enormous experience because he comes from a top team and a top league. So his debut didn't surprise me. Kieran's fitted in very well and technically he's exquisite and has a very high level when it comes to defending.

"He's Scottish in the tackle - by that I mean very committed - and he's able to raise his head and decide the best options when on the ball. He's going to get even better because he's very impulsive, yet knows when to go in for a tackle and when not to. I think he can go even further as a player. Kieran will be a big player for us and is going to contribute a lot."

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Sociedad were busy in the summer transfer market, also signing former Chelsea target Arsen Zakharyan as well as Andre Silva, Alvaro Odriozola, and Hamari Traore, while their best bit of business might have been keeping Martin Zubimendi out of the clutches of Arsenal and Barcelona.