Kenny hails Stubbs’ influence on career

used to have the kits and the tracksuits and that. Everyone knows Celtic is a worldwide massive club,” said Kenny.

“His family would come down to Liverpool and I knew them well.

"When I signed, it was a big deal for people in the family, and especially for me to come to a big club like this.”

Scheduled to return to Goodison Park in the summer where he has found opportunities limited in the seasons either side of a loan spell with Schalke for the 2019-20 campaign, Kenny did not entirely rule out extending his loan stay at Celtic, though he was circumspect over the possibility.

His £50,000-a-week salary precludes the £10 million-rated performer singing permanently.

“It’s more just taking it as it comes, I know that’s a boring answer, but I can’t look too far ahead,” said Kenny, who is set to take his Celtic Park bow in this afternoon’s Premiership clash with Motherwell.

“Just game by game and we’ll see where it takes us at the end of the season. Right now, it’s just focusing on the next game coming up.”

And even with the league gone, Kenny maintains that he and his Celtic team-mates still have much to play for this season, even though the pandemic lockdown could put paid to the Scottish Cup being staged.

“Everyone knows how the season has gone so far but we have three or four months left to put that behind us,” said Kenny.

“You can see for the past nine years just how successful this club has been, winning so many trophies. You can't forget that.”

Like any footballer as technically-gifted as he is, Ianis Hagi can make the game look ridiculously simple at times.

But the Rangers playmaker is the first to admit he has been surprised by just how difficult it has been for him to hit his stride in Scottish football.

Hagi scored his fifth goal of the season for Steven Gerrard’s side when they defeated St Johnstone 1-0 at Ibrox on Wednesday night in their relentlessly consistent pursuit of the Premiership title. The 22-year-old Romanian international has also contributed 11 assists in the campaign so far. Despite those impressive numbers, however, Hagi, pictured, has had to show patience in his quest for a regular place in Gerrard’s starting line-up.

He feels he is now coming to terms with the demands placed on him in an environment which has proved much more testing than he had anticipated when he made his move from Belgian club Genk.

“Honestly, when you come here you expect the league not to be that challenging,” said Hagi. “But the way teams defend every single week against Rangers, it makes the game so tough.

“You have to find options, you have to create every single time. Honestly, the pressure which comes at the club is really big. It’s really tough to succeed at a club like Rangers. I feel I’ve done this so far and I can’t wait for the future in these colours.

“Scottish football challenges me a lot as a footballer. I