Celtic defender Kieran Tierney says there is a long way to go before he can match the achievements of Emilio Izaguirre but the youngster is hoping to keep his place in the starting line-up.

The left-back, who replaced the Honduras international for the recent clash against Dundee United on Sunday, was magnificent from the first whistle and was rightly named man of the match.

It was a superb performance from a player who is just 18 years of age and the Bhoys managed to record a thumping 5-0 victory at home to stay top of the table – four points clear of Aberdeen.

Head coach Ronny Deila is now left with a difficult decision in terms of selection for Wednesday’s Scottish League Cup clash against Hearts, with both Tierney and Izaguirre vying for the starting spot.

The latter, who has been a regular fixture since joining in 2010, was dropped after a poor display in the European defeat to Molde and he may find it hard to get straight back into action.

Tierney, who is a product of the youth system at Celtic, admits he still has a lot of areas he can develop but he is hoping to continue his impressive form.

“t was my fourth start of the season and I know I need to keep on working on all my weaknesses,” he said. “I’ve had meetings with John Collins and John Kennedy which have been great.

“They tell you the positives and also the negatives you need to work on and I do that after training, but I have been absolutely delighted with the faith the manager has put in me.”

Celtic are big favourites at 1.44 to defeat Hearts away from home, with the draw at 4.33 while the hosts are priced at 6.50 to cause a shock upset.