Johnny Kenny is finally off the mark after scoring his first goals for Celtic against Aberdeen.
The Republic of Ireland U21 international joined Celtic in January 2022 after signing a five-year deal at the club and Kenny has had to wait for his big chance at the club.
Kenny moved to Shamrock Rovers on loan in December of that year and spent two spells at the club, winning a league title on the way.
Scoring 26 goals in 76 appearances, Kenny was highly thought of by Rovers boss Stephen Bradley, and speaking after the young striker scored his first goal in Celtic’s win at Aberdeen, the Irish gaffer shared how the young Hoops striker was feeling before his big moment.
Bradley admits Johnny Kenny was lost and knew he had to be patient at Celtic
Last night’s appearance at Aberdeen was Kenny’s first start for Celtic. The young Irishman had made seven outings from the bench before that.
However, after being asked to comment on Kenny’s goal, Bradley was clearly delighted for the young Celtic striker.
Kenny told Shamrock Rovers TV, “Yeah, I’ve been in constant contact with Johnny, and he understands that he’s had to be patient.
“Celtic are obviously a massive club, and they have a lot of options. And he’s been just keeping his head down, working hard, waiting for his opportunity.
“And to be fair, he was given his opportunity last night, and I thought he did really well. He’s got a great goal. And again, incredible for him, because when we had him here on loan at the start, he was a little bit lost.
“And, again, he’s done the work, he’s got his head down and he’s stayed focused, he was obviously very very good for us, and he’s gone back and he’s been given opportunities, and that’s all you can ask for.”
What Brendan Rodgers said about Johnny Kenny’s return to Celtic after Kyogo’s exit
Brendan Rodgers lost Kyogo Furuhashi in January to Rennes and, as Kenny returned to Paradise, the Celtic manager saw clear differences in his game.
Rodgers said at the time, “Johnny, I can see even with the three or so weeks he has been training with us and the guys who (coach him), John (Kennedy) and the other coaches who have been here before.
“They see the real difference in him. From his experience going back to playing with Shamrock and playing in Europe.
“Brilliant finisher. He looks physically in a good place, so I am now going to put my time into him and working with him. See how he develops now because he is a natural finisher in the box, there is no doubt about that. That’s what we look to do.”
Kenny has impressed, even from his appearances from the Celtic bench, so it will be interesting to see how his career develops moving forward into next season.
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