Celtic loanee Johnny Kenny has been in fine form this campaign as he continues to go from strength to strength at Shamrock Rovers.
After renewing his loan spell in Dublin, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international has become a first pick under Stephen Bradley, scoring ten goals in 25 appearances across all competitions.
Earlier in the summer, the 21-year-old was the hero for Shamrock Rovers in their Champions League first qualifying round against Vikingur Reykjavik, registering a match-winning double on a famous night at Tallaght Stadium.
The reigning League of Ireland champions bowed out against Sparta Prague in the second qualifying round, subsequently dropping into the Europa League third qualifying phase.
Celje were their opponents over two legs, and the end result had a significant knock-on impact on the Celtic loanee.
Shamrock Rovers secure league phase qualification
Despite Kenny being injured across the two legs, Shamrock Rovers prevailed against Celje 3-2 on aggregate yesterday evening.
Confirming their place in the Europa League playoff, Graham Burke’s winner in extra-time sealed a dramatic 3-1 victory in Dublin that carries major ramifications for the Celtic loanee and his teammates.
PAOK will be their opponents for a place in the Europa League, but they will still play league-phase football regardless of the result.
Of course, they could make it through against the Greek outfit and complete a historic journey by qualifying for the competition proper. If not, the Europa Conference League beckons for Shamrock Rovers, meaning Kenny has a chance to sample the big occasion while out on loan.
Undoubtedly, this can only benefit his development. With his contract at Celtic up in 2026, it will be intriguing to see if he figures in Brendan Rodgers’ long-term plans.
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