"I genuinely believe he can go on to win the Ballon d'Or" - Pat Nevin backs Arsenal star, better than Liverpool's Andy Robertson, to win prestigious individual award 

Pat Nevin believes Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is better than his Scottish compatriot Andy Robertson who plays for Liverpool.

Both Tierney and Robertson are two of the Premier League's best left-backs, with both being hugely important to their teams' impressive campaigns this season. For Scotland, Tierney tucks into a back three, while Robertson plays wide left-back.

There has been much debate about which of the two Scotland defenders is better. Former Chelsea winger Nevin has now given his verdict. In an interview with Squawka, he heaped huge praise on Arsenal's Tierney, claiming he tried to get his former team to sign the former Celtic defender. Nevin said:

“I tried to get Chelsea to buy him (Tierney) four years ago, but they didn’t listen and ended up signing Ben Chilwell from Leicester City for twice as much as Kieran would have cost them. If Kieran did join Real Madrid then I’m convinced he would have no problem fitting in there — he wouldn’t need time to settle or adjust."

Nevin then brought in the comparison with Liverpool left-back Robertson, adding in this regard:

“(Tierney's) good enough to join any club in the world and hit the ground running. Andy Robertson is a fabulous full-back, so I’m not criticising him in any way when I say Tierney is the better all-round player of the two."

He continued:

“It’s probably the first time since Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness in the 1980s when we’ve had two Scots capable of playing for the best teams around.”

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Arsenal's Tierney tipped to win Ballon d'Or ahead of Liverpool's Robertson

Tierney has flourished under Mikel Arteta.

Nevin has made a bold claim that Arsenal's Tierney has the potential to win the Balon d'Or award in the future, saying:

“He hasn’t peaked yet, which is quite frightening. When I first met him, he was a confident boy, but he’s subsequently gone beyond that to have this total and utter belief in himself, and you can see it by the way he carries himself on the pitch; you just think: ‘He’s got it.’"

Tierney has four goals and 12 assists in 87 appearances for Arsenal, and Nevin believes he is one of the best players in the world, adding:

“Kieran is already one of the best footballers on the planet. He’s more than comfortable in the Premier League, which means he could play anywhere. I genuinely believe he can go on to win the Ballon d’Or. Only one defender – Fabio Cannavaro, who captained the Italian World Cup-winning side in 2006 – has ever won that prize, but it’s not impossible for Tierney to emulate him."

Tierney will next feature for Arsenal on Monday when the Gunners travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, looking to consilidate their hold on fourth place. The Gunners lead fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by three points, albeit with a game in hand.

Meanwhile Robertson's Liverpool face Watford on Saturday as they seek to keep the pressure on league leaders Manchester City, whom they meet on April 10.