Johnny Kenny has been handed a major confidence boost while out on loan, with his new manager suggesting the striker has what it takes to become a regular contributor for Celtic in the future.
The 22-year-old made a deadline day switch from Celtic to Bolton Wanderers, a move designed to give him consistent minutes after a difficult and stop-start spell in Glasgow. Kenny is now settling into life in England and has already made his first impression.
He returned from injury to make his Bolton debut against Lincoln City on Saturday, coming off the bench for the final 25 minutes. Despite limited time on the pitch, his manager felt the Irish forward showed enough to suggest he can play a meaningful role as Bolton push for promotion from League One and a place in the Championship.
Bolton boss Steven Schumacher has been quick to back Kenny’s mentality and ability, insisting confidence is not an issue for the young striker.
“He doesn’t strike me as a player who lacks confidence,” Schumacher told The Bolton News. “We have only had him at the training ground for three or four days but we saw on Saturday that he came on and made a really good impact.
“When I spoke to him in the summer he seemed a bright lad who understood the game, knew what his strengths are and what he could bring to our team. We didn’t manage to get the deal done then, but when I spoke to him again in January it didn’t seem he was lacking confidence.
“It just seems to me that he played in a team at Celtic who have had a difficult season, really. They’ve had three different managers, so that’s not easy as a young player trying to lead the line for such a big club.
“We are just happy to have him here. He seems to be enjoying it. He’s settled in with the lads fine and I think he’ll be a good player for us.”
In January, Celtic added two players up top, bringing in Junior Adamu and Tomáš Čvančara. His confidence took a knock after missing some high-profile chances, but that came in the context of a turbulent season where stability was hard to come by.
What is often forgotten is Kenny’s loan spell at Shamrock Rovers, where he scored freely and even found the net in European competition, showing the instincts and composure that convinced Celtic to give him the chance in Glasgow this season.
Now, with a fresh environment and a manager publicly backing him, Kenny has the chance to rebuild momentum. If he can play a part in Bolton’s promotion push and rediscover his scoring touch, he will certainly have options in the summer.
