Kenny's Impact in Celtic's Victory Against Sporting

Johnny Kenny didn’t score against Sporting Lisbon in Celtic’s 2-0 victory but the half-time substitute for Adam Idah possibly put in the most significant performance of the match.

With his contract expiring next May there is plenty of speculation about his future. Bolton had a bid of £500,000 rejected by Celtic at the end of June with the suggestion that if the offer was doubled a deal would be completed.

As Celtic’s pre-season unwinds you can’t help but notice the difference in the striker, he is no longer living the dream of getting a couple of Celtic appearances to hang onto long after his career has ended, now he is a serious contender to be playing for Celtic with just the exact nature of his role to be defined.

After impressing with a goal against Estela da Amadora on Saturday Adam Idah looked off it last night against the Portuguese champions, he had two decent first half chances, on form he would have tucked away one of them.

A knock paved the way for Kenny, the only outfield substitution made at half-time, he took it with both hands, having a role in both Celtic goals showing a maturity beyond his years.

Two minutes after coming off the bench Kenny moved onto a near post cross from James Forrest, got himself between the defender and the ball and was chopped to the ground. Penalty, no question about it with the Celtic substitute showing the awareness of a veteran to get a penalty out of very little.

Soon after Brendan Rodgers had made a host of changes, while the substitutes were finding their feet.

Arne Engels nudged the ball away from an opponent just outside the Celtic box, Luke McCowan rolled it into the path of Kenny who set off on a 60 yards run with the former Dundee man matching him through the centre.

Kenny held the ball up perfectly till he was joined by Cowan, slipped the ball back and a smart finish from McCowan put Celtic 2-0 in front. An outstanding assist.

And all at a time when Shin Yamada is about to complete his move to Celtic from Kawasaki Frontale, adding another element to the striker issue facing Rodgers.

Does he play Maeda through the centre and leave the team short of left wing options?
Can Idah find the missing consistency to extend his hot streaks when he makes scoring see easy, or does his head go down?
How do you introduce a striker with two J-League goals into a side playing for a Champions League place and facing trips to Ibrox and Pittodrie either side of those vital UEFA matches?

We can certainly assume that Kenny is ahead of Callum Osmond but how high up the pecking order is he?

Rodgers on a contract for Kenny

I’ve been really pleased for Johnny since I’ve seen him in January, that was close up. I think he has improved, I think he has developed.

I spoke to Johnny – funny enough – this morning, just talking about his plan. We would really like him to sign another deal at Celtic and then we will decide what’s going to be the best way to develop him, whether it’s to stay or whether we think he needs another step to go out.

He’s got a lot of strengths and a lot of qualities; he’s done very well since he came back in January.

Kenny on the prospect of a new Celtic contract

I’d love to sign a new contract at this club It’s the club I want to play for at the end of the day. Since I came back in January, I can’t describe how good the manager has been for me.

Obviously, he wants me to sign a new deal, so that’s very promising for me at this club. I’m happy to sign a new contract. The manager will make his decision on that (another loan move). Wherever I am, I want to play football.

I want to develop myself, and I think playing games is going to develop me. I want to try and break into the national team, and I think playing games is the way I’m going to get into that team.

I think the manager will have a pathway for me, and I don’t think he’s going to keep me here and not play me.

So whatever the manager decides, I’m all behind, because everything he’s told me since January has been 100 per cent, so I believe in the manager.

I came in, learned my trade the last few months, learned the system in and out of possession. I feel like I’m ready to kick on now and hopefully get the opportunities to do that.

My dream is to represent this club on a daily basis. There’s so many games at this club and I hope I can break in and get opportunities to do that because that’s all I want to do. It’s such a big club and I want to be part of it.

Kenny has been transformed since the turn of the year. In the autumn he was the subject of mild curiosity as he scored goals in the Conference League for Shamrock Rovers but he didn’t return to Celtic with any level of expectation.

St Mirren and Doncaster appeared to have loan offers approved for the young striker before Michael Nicholson failed to come up with a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi as he celebrated banking £10m from Rennes.

Rather than playing time with St Mirren or Doncaster Kenny was plan C at Celtic, coming off the bench for 20 minutes away to Ross County three years after his transfer from Sligo Rovers.

The early appearances were full of running and not much else, a young player too eager to impress, chasing every through ball as if he was playing his last match for Celtic.

Maeda caught fire in front of goal through the spring- but not at Ibrox in May when he hurried a shot at Jack Butland rather than roll the ball to substitute Kenny to achieve cult status with a last minute winner in the Glasgow Derby.

That elusive first goal came on his first start, a well placed header away to Aberdeen.

In the Scottish Cup Final Kenny stepped up to score a penalty, one of the few consolations to take away from a nightmare at Hampden. Kenny stepped up when few others did.

Now four matches into pre-season there is a maturity and awareness about the young striker, he showed with a goal against Queens Park that he has the striker’s instinct.

Rodgers seems lukewarm over the arrival of Yamada, if the Champions League Play Off was tomorrow Kenny would be ahead of the new arrival for a place.

A two or three year contract for Kenny on vastly improved terms to that given to the teenager from Sligo in January 2022 should be a formality.

Unless a blockbuster striker is on his way to Celtic Kenny is in contention for a place in Rodgers’ plans, either in the Starting XI or as the 60^th minute substitute that comes on to influence the outcome.

No longer is the former Sligo striker a rabbit in headlights fearing that his next Celtic appearance could be his last.

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