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Kieran Tierney is set to leave Arsenal upon the expiry of his contract this summer to bring an end to his six-year spell in north London.
The Scotsman was a key figure in the early stages of Mikel Arteta's rebuild of the club, but faced constant battles with injuries and eventually fell down the pecking order due to the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko. He has since became a squad player in the Spaniard's setup, but has continued to be a great servant to the side.
He was brought on as a substitute in Sunday's 1-0 win over Newcastle for what was his final appearance as an Arsenal player at the Emirates Stadium. Tierney received a great reception from his side's fans and that is a sign of respect that should be showed to him beyond his departure from the club.
Why Kieran Tierney deserves great respect from Arsenal fans
Barring his year away on loan at Real Sociedad during the 2023/24 season, Tierney has been a consistent performer for Arsenal and has always put in his best effort when given chances.
The left back has always displayed a passion for the club when wearing the famous red and white shirt and never showed any sought of temptation to complain about a lack of playing time or force a move away from north London.
Tierney was the fan favourite to become club captain upon the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but a knee injury and subsequent surgery forced a premature end to his 2021/22 season, his final year as Mikel Arteta's first-choice left back.
When the Scotsman returned to fitness, he found himself down the pecking order following the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko and no longer the shoo-in for the captaincy, with Martin Odegaard instead taking on the role.
A change of tactics and the requirement of an inverted left back in the team meant Tierney no longer fit into Arteta's side as a first choice and he had to play a bit part through his side's title challenge. He struggled to adapt to the new role and that unfortunately had an effect on his performances. Despite this, he continued to give his all every time he appeared.
In this modern day, footballers have a voice through the world of social media and that has prompted many to complain over the years. However, Tierney never fell to that and considering he laid on the fitness table as his club's first choice left back and potential future captain, and returned as a backup option in a new system, his lack of complaint is admirable to say the least.
Tierney never once showed an ounce of disrespect for Arteta and Arsenal despite his limited chances and that simply has to be applauded. He even revealed he has 'no problem' with the club ahead of his loan move to Spain.
To have continued to give his all for the Gunners for a number of years without ever complaining or venting his frustration about a lack of playing time or missing out on the chance to become captain, Tierney showed a great deal of respect and passion for the club. Not only did he never moan, he was also a key factor in the transition from mocked mid-table dwellers to Champions League hopefuls and title contenders. Once he leaves on a free transfer to return to boyhood club Celtic, Arsenal fans must repay the favour and give him the same treatment throughout his departure and beyond.