Kieran Tierney has revealed his injury hit spell at Arsenal has mentally been the “toughest time of his life”.

The former Celtic star made the switch to London in August last year but didn’t make his debut until September due to a thigh and hernia issue.

After battling back from the treatment room Tierney impressed Gunners supporters with five appearances under Unai Emery, before further injury woes struck when he dislocated his shoulder against West Ham.

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After a further three months out the Scotland defender is staring at the end of his long road to recovery and insists, he is psychologically stronger for the journey.

Speaking to the SPORTbible, KT said: "The night at West Ham away was a hard night for me. I knew I had 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 same kind of thing. I landed differently. It was a set piece and my arm just went into a position that wasn't comfortable at all and dislocated.

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"It was heartbreaking because in my head I knew I needed an operation. Three times in 30 minutes, nobody's shoulder should be going like that.

"So in my head, I was like 'that's me out for another few months'. You know that and you know the devastation straight away. You can see it on my face.

"Being injured at the start of my Arsenal career was hard. Mentally, it was probably the toughest time of my life."

The 22-year-old also revealed how important his friends and family have been in keeping him determined to return to the pitch.

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He added: "Keeping myself motivated and energised, for me, is quite easy because I've got great people around me. I've got my family, my friends and everybody I need.

"I will go work hard every single day for myself, for the club, for my family.

"The mental side of the game is probably the most important. Everybody loves going out and playing football but to be mentally tough and deal with all these obstacles and people throw at you, it's the hardest part. But when you get to the other side, it's the most rewarding."