Manx-born footballer Kieran Tierney has completed a record-breaking transfer to Premier League giants Arsenal FC.

Speculation had been rife all summer that the Celtic full-back, 22, would leave the Scottish champions and move to one of England’s leading clubs.

Negotiations were ongoing for a number of weeks between the Hoops and Gunners’ hierarchy as the latter initially refused to meet Celtic’s valuation.

However, with Thursday evening’s transfer deadline looming, the two clubs agreed a deal and Tierney flew down to London to undergo a medical and hold contract talks.

There were no further issues and the Manx-born star passed the medical despite recovering from a hernia operation earlier this summer and the deal went through in time.

The £25 million fee is a new Scottish transfer record, smashing the previous best which was set by Tierney’s former team-mate Moussa Dembele who moved to Lyon for £19.7m last summer.

Tierney came through the ranks at Celtic and has firmly established himself as the club’s - and Scotland’s first-choice left-back, winning won four SPL league titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups as well as captaining the Scottish national side.

The Scottish left-back admitted it had been difficult to leave his boyhood club: ’It’s a hard decision to leave a club that you love so much. People need to know that.’

More reaction from Tierney’s record-breaking move in Tuesday’s Isle of Man Examiner.