Johnny Kenny, a League of Ireland Golden Boot candidate, has been upset with Celtic for not trying harder with him while he was on loan at Shamrock Rovers. He says he is doing everything in his power to disprove his parent club.
In what has been a disappointing start to life in Glasgow, Kenny, who signed a five-year contract with Celtic after leaving Sligo Rovers as an 18-year-old in January 2022, has yet to make his Celtic debut.
He was loaned out to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Championship nearly immediately after joining Celtic, although he made just 12 games and did not score.
He signed a one-year loan extension with Shamrock Rovers after spending the previous season on loan in the League of Ireland. At first, he had trouble finding the net frequently, with just five goals and one assist in 30 games for the 2023 champions.
With 12 goals and two assists from 27 league games this season, he has emerged as one of Irish football’s most prolific strikers, trailing only Patrick Hoban, the division’s top scorer by two goals.
In addition, he has scored twice in three Champions League qualifying games, and this season, he hopes to have an impact in the Europa Conference League.
Although he plays a vital role in Shamrock Rovers’ quest for a sixth straight league championship, Kenny acknowledges that it is difficult to deal with the lack of appreciation back in Glasgow.
He clarified in an interview with The Irish Independent: “It’s challenging.
You simply need to try to disprove them on the pitch and see what happens, even though they are my present team. That’s it—just the occasional word from Darren O’Dea, manager of Celtic’s professional player pathway. We’ll see what transpires as I enter the last months of my contract with Celtic.
It’s difficult to accept. Since I wasn’t really performing last year, [the lack of communication] was reasonable. However, I believe I have done well this year and have had little communication from them.
“Look, though, I’ll simply keep playing each game and see where it leads. Even though my chances of receiving a shot [at Celtic] are slim, I’m always hopeful. Playing there would be amazing, but we’ll have to wait and see.
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