Johnny Kenny

My thoughts exactly. We bought him because he had promise and potential… loaned him out to improve his game (which he has) so ideally his progression has gone to plan. Next step surely to see if he can make the grade here

 

Comes across well there. Joint top scorer in the Conference League as well is pretty impressive considering he's only 21.

 

Hopefully he follows a similar trajectory to Scales.
Brought over as a “Desmond” signing from Ireland who most people wrote off straight away as not being good enough, had a poor start at Celtic then sent out on loan, come back, still not good enough in most people’s eyes, expected to be shipped back out or sold straight away….. but then manage to force themselves into first team contention!

 

The type of signing we would definitely do for £2.5 mil if he played in Sweden/denmark/norway! Haha im looking forward to him getting a chance if thats the plan

 

Top scorer in Euro comp and no free boots ... shameful!

 

Would suspect that a few European clubs may show interest this coming window, based on stats alone.

 

Likely be given week or so off then join 1st team training towards end of the month. Gives Rodgers a good 5 weeks to look at him. Maybe a 6 month loan to spfl side to better * him unless he really stands out in training

 

Might be better giving him the option if he wants the week or to come straight into training without it keep up momentum without a break. He’ll not be playing week in and out so will have his rest, sometimes better to get straight into stuff rather than that mental break that can interrupt the flow.

I’m well impressed though, after the interview he done I wasn’t sure of him but he’s done that interview then kicked it on a level as well. Funny how that screams good attitude and confidence to me, whereas if he hadn’t ramped it up a level afterwards it’d leave the opposite impression on me. I like it though, gamble speaking out but it put attention on him and he’s shown that he’s making the most of that.

 

Aye to be fair AJ came straight over from world cup and started at Ibrox on 2nd of Jan and the momentum carried him right through till end of the season.

He will probably want to come in while he's sharp and if he's smart refusing a break mite make all the difference to Rodgers as he's said previously that he looks for much more than ability when looking at youth players.

 

Nah, I'd just give him the 6 months with us then sell him on in the summer if he doesn't show anything.

Wouldn't be against a loan to an SPFL side mine you, but he'll be 22 in the summer so even if he did have a decent season on loan, he'd still be behind Kyogo and Idah come the summer.

 

Personally think this could be Kyogo’s last season here so be good to get him back and in amongst the squad for 6 months. He probably won’t get that much game time but he’ll certainly get a chance and just being in and around the squad will be massive for him with a view to hopefully having more of a chance next season if he can impress.

He ticks every box as the 3rd choice striker Rodgers is desperate for so up to him now to prove he can be a success here.

 

Worryingly I think it’ll be the last season for all our Japanese players. Kyogo due to age…Hatate is a certainty…and Maeda because of the season he’s having. Think we could be in for a big overhaul in the summer so the more bodies the better. Kenny looks a good option to trial this last 6 months

 

Being honest, if that is the case then so be it. Quite clearly I’d rather Maeda stayed and he couldn’t be replaced like for like but I wouldn’t be against bringing in someone who’s technically better but also willing to put in a shift and I don’t think that unrealistic. I’ll probably never see someone who’ll press an opponent in the way Maeda does but someone like Kuhn on the other side and we wouldn’t be much worse off for it.

Kyogo is still incredible and again I’d rather he stayed, but his goals have dried up a bit and while we get away with it because there’s so much goals all through the team he should score more than he has been.

 

Agree totally, I’d rather they stayed but we know the model and story of our club. We should sell whilst still able to. Not sure how much to believe the reported fee city wanted kyogo for in the summer but I was sure he was for the off then. Hatate would have already been had someone met our value. Think Maeda has put himself in the market for a lot of clubs this season so he’ll not be short of suitors. Think he’d suit Germany personally as he doesn’t have the technical consistency to last in the prem

 

Agree but when you see some of the * that plays week after week down in the PL maeda would easily slot in. I’d argue his qualities are probably even better suited to that league tbh, his work rate and pressing would be unrivalled so straight away which ever team he’s in would have a point of difference.

 

He’d be good 1 week then * the next and they’re that fickle he’ll be out after that! Haha he gets so many chances with us each game to atone for any mistakes/skewed shots or passes but down south you don’t get that many. Especially for the calibre of team who’d buy him.

actually think if Ange gets backed he should try for him. Not for his quality but just to show the other spurs players what’s required of them.

 

Aye will be interesting to see what we do with him. Just think am spfl loan may be a decent option, he's done tremendously well in conference league but LOI is step below spfl imo so he interesting to see how he copes.

Dunno if he'll get much game time with us at the minute so more matches under his belt would be good for his development but Rodgers did want a 3rd option so you may be rite and he'll be given until the summer.

 

He is due to link up with the squad on 3rd Jan.
Dont think we should be looking at loaning him out, just give BR a chance to assess him and put a coaching plan in place. And we only have 2 strikers anyway.

 

Johnny Kenny is targeting a first-team breakthrough at Celtic in January but before returning to his parent club he’s hoping to finish his loan spell at Shamrock Rovers on a high with a goal at Chelsea next week.

The 21-year-old has impressed in his second year on loan at Tallaght Stadium as his brace in Thursday’s Conference League win over Borac Banja Luka took his 2024 tally up to 20 goals, five of which have come in his last four European starts with the Hoops securing a February play-off for the last 16.

But Kenny admits it remains his dream to play at Celtic Park and hopes to earn the chance to impress Brendan Rodgers when he returns to Glasgow in the New Year.


The Sligo man, currently the joint-top scorer in the Conference League with five goals, was hailed by Stephen Bradley in the aftermath of this week’s European victory. And although Rovers are keen to hold onto the former Ireland U-21 cap for 2025, for now Kenny’s eyes are on making his mark with the Scottish champions, who he signed for in January 2022.

“I spoke to Celtic. I’m returning to pre-season on January 3 and we’ll see where that takes us. It’s my dream to play for Celtic and hopefully I get that in January, time will tell,” said Kenny following Thursday’s 3-0 victory, which took Rovers up to 11 points out of a possible 15 ahead of next week’s final League Phase game away to Chelsea.

So has it boosted his Celtic prospects?

“One hundred per cent, yeah,” said Kenny. “The goals in Europe are probably worth two or three in the league. I haven’t done myself any harm but it’s over now (after Chelsea) and come January 3, I need to impress at Celtic.


It’s my dream to play for Celtic but I’ll take it from there. I have really enjoyed my football here (at Rovers), even last year when things weren’t going well.

“I’ll just enjoy the glamour tie next week and Christmas with my family and see what January brings. It’s up to me when I go back to take it a step further and hopefully get my chance.”

Asked if a goal at Stamford Bridge next week would be the dream way to sign off, Kenny said: “Ah yeah, it would be brilliant. That’s what we all dream of as a young lad, to go over there and bring the game to them.”

Bradley’s men are one of just three sides in the Conference League who remain unbeaten after five games, along with Chelsea and Portugal’s Vitoria. With 11 points, the Tallaght club are guaranteed a two-legged play-off in February for the last 16, but they will be aiming higher next week.

A draw in west London next week would hand them an outside chance of a top-eight finish and automatic qualification, and Kenny says his side must relish the challenge against the two-time Champions League winners.



When we saw the draw, this was the glamour tie but knew we had to get the work done first. Let’s all go enjoy the moment,” he said, having also been nominated for the 2024 PFAI Ireland Men’s Young Player of the Year.

“It’s been a long year, a year since we started pre-season, so we deserve a night like this. Look, people said we’d get beaten by APOEL and Rapid Vienna (as Rovers came from behind to draw 1-1 in both) so what have we to lose at this stage? We’re one of only three teams undefeated.

“Did we expect that at the start? Maybe not, but we’ve not feared any team. It’s ‘we’re going after you’.

“It’s great company to be in (joint-top scorer) but I’m just delighted we’re winning and I can contribute. We’ll treat Chelsea the same as the other matches. There are probably more glamorous clubs but we’ll see what happens when we take it to them.

“No fear. It will be special having my family and friends there who helped me along the way when I was growing up. It’s the same for any player, they would want to be there next week.”


The mention of his clan back in his native Riverstown prompts Kenny to put football to the side for a moment as he paid an emotional tribute to a late friend from back home, Anthony Connolly, who passed away last year. It’s clear he was someone who meant a lot to the striker.

“They (family) are proud. I lost one of my close mates in October (2023) and it hurts me that he can’t be here on nights like this,” Kenny said of fellow Riverstown man Connolly, who was a sports fanatic and a huge supporter of Kenny’s former club Sligo Rovers, where he was also a photographer at matches.

It’s tough. We’re a year on, but on nights like Borac and next Thursday you miss him being around.”

No doubt Connolly would be proud of the heights Kenny has reached this season – a year he’s hoping to round off with a flourish under the lights in London next week before Glasgow beckons.