OF the new signings so far at Celtic in January, young Irish striker Johnny Kenny’s arrival has been somewhat overshadowed by the triple capture of Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda from Japan.
The 18-year-old is hoping though that he can make his presence felt on the field though before too long, admitting that a huge draw for him to join the club was manager Ange Postecoglou’s willingness to place his trust in young players.
Kenny, who has signed a five-year contract after making the move from Sligo Rovers, has revealed that chats with Postecoglou prior to his arrival convinced him that Celtic was the perfect place for him to continue his development.
“The manager was massive,” Kenny told Celtic TV. “I was talking to him a few times before I came and it’s amazing the way he wants to play and what he thinks of me.
“The amount of young players he’s brought through here has been unreal and I hope I can play under him.
“I’ve signed a long-term deal so I want to come here, win trophies, score goals, get the fans on my side and win stuff here at Celtic Park and bring more success.
“It feels amazing. Thankfully it’s over the line now and it’s time to get down to work and impress the manager and get in and amongst it all.”
Kenny admits that it may be something of a culture shock for him at first swapping the 3873-capacity Showground of Sligo for Celtic Park, but he is hoping that what he does on the pitch will show just why Celtic have moved to bring him to Glasgow.
Particularly as a great deal of his family and friends in Ireland also support the club.
“I had a good season with Sligo and it was great to play there but when Celtic come in it’s a no brainer,” he said.
“It’s such a big club here and back home and so many of my family and friends support the club, so I couldn’t wait to get here.
“Coming from the Showground, it’s a lovely ground in Sligo and its home but when you come here it’s just something different.
“Playing in front of 60,000 fans at Celtic Park will be a dream come true at a stadium with such history.
“I’m looking forward to playing in-front of the fans and giving everything I have to keep the team winning and hopefully I can win a lot of trophies here.”
Kenny certainly seems to have many of the attributes that Postecoglou prizes in his frontmen, listing his work ethic and pace as his key strengths.
“I’m a striker that likes to get in behind and press defenders,” he said. “I bring massive work-rate to the team and hopefully I can score goals and get the fans on their feet.”
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