Celtic loanee Johnny Kenny lands exciting career milestone at Shamrock Rovers

Johnny Kenny, a Celtic loanee, achieves a thrilling career milestone at Shamrock Rovers
Clifford, Sean Markus
Johnny Kenny, a Celtic loanee, has been playing well this season and is still getting better at Shamrock Rovers.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, who has scored 10 goals in 25 games across all competitions, has been a first pick under Stephen Bradley after extending his loan term in Dublin.

The 21-year-old saved the day for Shamrock Rovers in their Champions League first-round match against Vikingur Reykjavik earlier in the summer, recording a game-winning double on a historic night at Tallaght Stadium.

The defending League of Ireland champions lost to Sparta Prague in the second qualifying round and were sent to the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

Their opponents during the two matches were Celje, and the outcome had a big effect on the Celtic loanee.

Shamrock Rovers qualify for the league phase.
Yesterday night, Shamrock Rovers defeated Celje 3-2 on aggregate, despite though Kenny had injuries in both legs.

Graham Burke’s winner in extra time clinched a thrilling 3-1 victory in Dublin, securing their spot in the Europa League playoffs and carrying significant implications for the Celtic loanee and his teammates.

Of course, they could defeat the Greek team and finish a historic voyage by earning a spot in the actual competition. If not, Shamrock Rovers will be playing in the Europa Conference League, so while he’s on loan, Kenny will get a taste of the big game.

This can only help him grow, no doubt about it. Given that his Celtics contract expires in 2026, it will be interesting to see if Brendan Rodgers uses him in his long-term plans.