Fergus Tierney
 Tierney with Johor Darul Ta'zim II in 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 March 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Chonburi | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | Soccer Experience FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Johor Darul Ta'zim III | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | → Chonburi (loan) | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Malaysia U23 | 12 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Malaysia | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 December 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fergus Tierney (born 19 March 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Thai League 2 club Chonburi. Born in Scotland, he represents Malaysia at international level.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Early years
[edit]Tierney was born in Glasgow in 2003, and was raised in Penang, Malaysia since childhood, which makes him a naturalized player and therefore holds a Malaysian passport.[7][8]
Club career
[edit]Youth
[edit]Tierney started his youth career in Malaysia with Soccer Experience FC, and went on many international football trips where he would play against players from professional football academies.
In his playing days with Soccer Experience FC, he would play in Europe against academy teams like Atlético Madrid youth teams,[9] Osasuna Cantera, Levante Academy,[10] Tenerife academy, Rangers B Team and Academy[11] and youth teams in Southeast Asia against teams like Barcelona's Asian academies, Penang, JSSL Singapore and other regional clubs.
Over the years of travelling from Malaysia to play internationally and gain exposure and experience Tierney was invited to train with clubs like, Sunderland, Leicester City, Dundee, Goa, St Johnstone and many more.
Johor Darul Ta'zim II
[edit]After the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was eased, Tierney who was 18 years old at that time, was invited to train with the Penang first team. He was also invited to train with Johor Darul Ta'zim and in early 2022, signed a professional contract with the Malaysia Super League giants where he was coached by former Boca Juniors player Mariano Echeverría.[12][13][14][15][16] He was part of the squad that won the 2022 Malaysia Premier League title.[17][18]
Chonburi (loan)
[edit]On 26 July 2024, Tierney joined Thai League 2 side Chonburi on a season loan. On 9 August, 18 seconds into his debut, he scored his first goal, which is also the club's first league goal of the season in a 4–0 win against Suphanburi. On 9 December, Tierney's loan contract was terminated alongside Charlie Clough as the club decided on a change of strategy to prepare for the second half of the season.
International career
[edit]Youth
[edit]At only 19 years old, Tierney was called up to the Malaysia U23 squad in February 2023 and again called up in March 2023 for the Malaysian team that went on to win the Merlion Cup for the first time that was held in Singapore.
In April 2023 Tierney was selected again to the Malaysia U23 squad for the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Tierney was again selected in August 2023 for the AFF U-23 Championship held in Thailand where he scored crucial goals including a double against Indonesia U23 to help his Malaysia team win 2–1 and he also helped the team reach the 3rd & 4th Playoff.
In September 2023, Tierney was selected again for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification held in Thailand and helped the Malaysia team advance from the AFC regional qualifiers and reach the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup tournament to be held in Qatar in April 2024.
In April 2024, Tierney was selected for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup tournament.
Senior
[edit]Tierney was selected for the training camp ahead of the international friendlies against Laos and India in November 2024, replacing the injured Romel Morales. He made his senior debut for Malaysia on 14 November 2024 against Laos.[19][20]
Tierney scored his first goal for the senior team on 8 December 2024 in the 2024 ASEAN Championship group stage match against Cambodia, helping to equalise the score at 2–2.[21]
Personal life
[edit]Tierney is the son of former PDRM, Penang and Geylang International football player and academy coach and TV pundit for Astro SuperSport, Martin Tierney and also his mother Sharon Tierney was an elite athlete who has represented Scottish Athletics national team. Also his sisters, Murron Tierney and Grear Tierney are presently competitive footballers with Soccer Experience FC senior girls/ladies team. Both Murron and Grear are licensed Asian Football Confederation youth football coaches.[22]
International statistics
[edit]- As of 9 December 2024[23]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 2024 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | |
International goals
[edit]| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 December 2024 | Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia |  Cambodia |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2024 ASEAN Championship |
Honours
[edit]JDT II
- Malaysia Premier League: 2022
- MFL Cup runner-up: 2023
References
[edit]- ^ "Kenali Pemain Muda JDT Berdarah Scotland, Fergus Tierney Yang Curi Perhatian E. Elavarasan". grandstandkita.net.
- ^ "Tierney tidak sabar beraksi di final Piala Merlion". hmetro.com.my. 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Fergus Tierney Jaringkan Gol Debut Bersama Harimau Malaya". edisiviral.com.
- ^ "Elavarasan panggil pemain Scotland sertai latihan pusat". bharian.com.my.
- ^ "Tierney teruja menanti aksi final". klik.com.my.
- ^ "Newbies aplenty in Elavarasan's SEA Games training squad". thestar.com.my. 12 February 2023.
- ^ "Kenali Pemain Muda JDT Berdarah Scotland, Fergus Tierney Yang Curi Perhatian E. Elavarasan" (in Malay). Grand Stand Kita. 11 February 2023.
- ^ T. Avineshwaran (12 February 2023). "Newbies aplenty in Elavarasan's SEA Games training squad". The Star. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Atletico Madrid academy". competize.com.
- ^ "Levante academy". competize.com.
- ^ "x.com".
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com.
- ^ "Kelab penyokong setia harimau selatan". Facebook.
- ^ "JDT". makanbola.com. 11 February 2022.
- ^ "x.com".
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com.
- ^ "JDT WINNING". johorsoutherntigers.my. 24 February 2021.
- ^ "JDT". johorsoutherntigers.my.
- ^ "Big break for Fergus after Morales injury". New Straits Times. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Harimau Malaya beat Laos 3-1 in friendly". New Straits Times. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Malaysia's opening draw hints at trying ASEAN Championship that could follow". ESPN. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Introducing the Rising Malaysian Star with Scottish Heritage - footboom1.com".
- ^ "Fergus Tierney". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- Living people
- 2003 births
- Scottish men's footballers
- Footballers from Glasgow
- Malaysian men's footballers
- Malaysia men's youth international footballers
- Malaysia men's international footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- Malaysia Super League players
- Thai League 2 players
- Chonburi F.C. players
- Scottish expatriate men's footballers
- Malaysian people of Scottish descent
- Naturalised citizens of Malaysia
- Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Thailand
- Malaysian expatriate sportspeople in Thailand
- Malaysian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Thailand
- Competitors at the 2023 SEA Games
- SEA Games competitors for Malaysia
- Naturalised association football players
- 21st-century Scottish sportsmen