The Scotland international full-back came at Emirates Stadium in 2019 nursing a knock and has since suffered a dislocated shoulder.
Kieran Tierney admits the injury fights he has suffered at Arsenal happen to be”the toughest time of my life”, with the Scot having taken at a forgettable debut effort at the Emirates Stadium.
The highly-rated left-back was obtained by the Gunners from Celtic in the summer of 2019.
He came in north London amid much fanfare but also nursing a knock.
That delayed his debut to life with Arsenal, with his introduction made at a Carabao Cup clash with Nottingham Forest on September 24, 2019.
He didn’t make his Premier League bow until October 27, with Tierney seeing just 11 appearances incomplete before a dislocated shoulder delivered him back to the treatment table.
The 22-year-old admits to having experienced a couple of dark days over recent months, with any return to activity today being postponed from the postponement of competitive soccer during the coronavirus outbreak.
Tierney told SPORTbible of his long road to recovery: “The night at West Ham away was a difficult night for me. I knew I’d dislocated my shoulder in the first 10, 15 minutes and straight away you know what you’ve done.
“Then another 10 minutes, I did the exact same kind of thing. I landed differently. It was a set-piece and my arm just went right into a position that was not comfortable at all and dislocated.
“It was heartbreaking because in my mind I knew I had an operation. Three times in thirty minutes, nobody’s shoulder should be moving like that.
“So in my mind, I was like’that’s me out for another couple of months’. You know that and you know that the devastation straight away. You can see it in my face.
“Being hurt at the beginning of my Arsenal career was challenging. Mentally, it was probably the toughest time of my life.”
Tierney feels he’s stronger physically and emotionally for the experiences he’s gone through since leaving his comfort zone in Glasgow.
He added: “Keeping myself motivated and motivated, for me, is quite easy because I have good people around me. I have got my family, my friends and everyone I want.
“I will go work hard each and every day for me personally, for the club, for my loved ones.
“The mental side of this game is most likely the most important. Everybody enjoys going out and playing football but to be mentally tough and deal with these obstacles and people throw at you, it is the toughest part. However, when you get to the other side, it is the most rewarding.”
