Johnny Kenny is reported to be close to completing a second loan deal with Shamrock Rovers.
The January 2022 Transfer Window was an exceptional one from Ange Postecoglou as three out of four first team signings hit the ground running to deliver the SPFL title with the stamp of the Australian all over the first team.
Kenny fell into the project category, arriving from Sligo Rovers as a prolific scorer and u-19 Ireland internationalist he isn’t the first player to discover the road block to top team football.
After a few appearances in the Lowland League Kenny struggled to make an impact last season on loan at Queens Park, when that deal was cut short the striker returned to the League of Ireland with Shamrock Rovers.
The Dublin side have provided regular first team football but it seems that Kenny’s position has changed with a much reduced goal tally compared to his prolific spell with Sligo where he scored 11 goals from 23 starts and nine appearances off the bench in the 2021 season.
Building on that with the new LOI season starting next month, the Irish Independent reports:
Shamrock Rovers are close to agreeing a new loan deal for Celtic’s Ireland U21 striker Johnny Kenny.
The former Sligo Rovers player spent last season on loan to Rovers, scoring five times in 30 league games as he played a role in their successful title defence, but he returned to parent club Celtic for assessment at the end of the 2023 League of Ireland season.
A number of clubs across the UK had expressed an interest in a loan deal for Kenny but the Bhoys are happy to agree to a second loan spell with Rovers, at least until the summer but possibly for the entire 2024 season.
Kenny joined Scottish champions Celtic in 2022 on a five-year deal but has yet to make the first team squad.
It is hard to see any way back for Kenny at Celtic but the example of former Shamrock Rovers defender Liam Scales does demonstrate what is possible.