LEE DIXON insists comparisons likening Kieran Tierney to Nigel Winterburn prove the ex-Celtic star is already proving his worth at Arsenal.

Tierney helped the Gunners to an FA Cup final victory on Saturday as Mikel Arteta's side defeated Chelsea at Wembley.

The Scotland international has quickly become a fan favourite at the Emirates and Dixon reckons the Winterburn comparisons speak volumes for his performances from left-back.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "He's been likened to Nigel Winterburn already and the fact that's on your CV, that someone's actually gone: 'Oh, he's very similar to Nigel when he got in the side'.

"(He's got) that hunger, that desire, that willingness to run all day.

"That should be a given, but it sometimes it isn't. We look at young players today and we're sometimes critical about their effort.

"We look at them and go: "He should be doing this, he should be doing that'.

"But the fact that he seems to have adapted to the way Arteta wants him to play, he can play in a few positions - I was really impressed with him when he first came."

He continued: "Obviously, he got the injuries. Somebody at Celtic, a friend of mine who's a Celtic fan said to me (about him).

"I'd seen him play, but not an awful lot, and I think you get a real essence of a player when you watch him week in, week out because you see him have bad games and how he gets through them.

"Nigel very rarely had a bad game but when he dipped below his normal standards he'd get 7/10.

"And you'd think: 'Wow, if that's your bottom level...'"