Teen Kenny has the tools
Alan Finn says we must applaud the talented Riverstown native Johnny Kenny who is starting out on a new journey with Glasgow Celtic
THE inevitable has happened. Johnny Kenny has departed The Showgrounds. Whether it was this month, this summer or this time next year, the striker was destined for bigger and better things after such a standout breakthrough season at senior level with Sligo Rovers as well as his efforts on the international stage.
Much has been made about the wisdom of the Riverstown sharpshooter’s decision to join Glasgow Celtic. Already we’ve heard cautionary tales of Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi and Lee O’Connor as young Irish men whose careers have stalled at the Scottish club, either by lingering in the reserves or being loaned out at levels deemed far removed from the calibre Celtic require.
What sets Johnny Kenny apart from those players is that he arrives at Parkhead with a full season of first team football under his belt. He proved at an early stage that he could walk the walk in the League of Ireland, a grade that has been the springboard for many successful careers in the UK.
Making light work of Dundalk’s Sonni Nattestad on his full debut last March still sticks out in my mind as a great insight into the player Kenny already was, and the player he can develop into.
Kenny’s movement and speed off the ball is arguably his greatest asset. For one so young, he knows how to time a run to perfection as defences largely failed to lure him into an offside position.
His goals, of course, are what ultimately did the talking for him. He was a revelation at underage level and was desperately unlucky not to grab his first goal in the first team sooner than he did.
The ingredients were there, but he struggled to convert as many chances into goals as he would have liked. But, like any good player, he refined his skills over time.
His decision-making in front of goal continuously improved and this was reflected during impressive form in the closing weeks of the season. Every soccer player who has a possible professional career ahead obviously have a certain level of ability. But as we know, ability is only half the battle.
The right attitude is what sets the best apart – it is what has allowed players like Ed McGinty, Niall Morahan and John Mahon to thrive at Rovers, while the likes of Liam Kerrigan, Jack Keaney and Paul Doyle have continued