Johnny Kenny believes his time at Celtic has him ready for the pressure moments now facing him at Bolton Wanderers.
The 22-year-old headed south on loan in January after failing to nail down a regular starting spot in Glasgow, but he has quickly found his feet in England.
Three goals and three assists in 10 appearances is a solid return, and Kenny is starting to build momentum at the right time.
Kenny insists the demands he experienced at Celtic Park have sharpened him for what lies ahead. He said (The Bolton News):
“I want to give this club everything I have.
“I want every performance to get better, to help the squad, and playing for Celtic you have to relish those big days. They are all big days up there. It’s win or bust.
“Now’s the time to step up and show why I’ve been brought to the club along with the other lads.”
It’s a mindset drilled into him in Glasgow, where every game carries weight and there is little room for passengers.
Kenny says that expectation is no different now, and it’s something he welcomes rather than fears.
“Pressure is probably a privilege. It just shows what those fans expect from you. They expected a lot up there, and I have seen that is the case here as well.
“It’s up to me to deliver the expectations and I hope I can because if you want to be a top player you have to show yourself in big games.”
There’s a point to prove here, not just for Bolton’s promotion hopes, but for his own future back at Celtic.
And looking at the current situation at Parkhead, questions remain over whether the club were too quick to let him go.
January signings Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu have yet to properly convince. The jersey is still up for grabs heading into the business end of the season; Kelechi Iheanacho looks the man to take it, if he stays fit.
Kenny, remarkably, still stands as the top-scoring striker under contract at Celtic this season.
That tells its own story. For all the talk of development and long-term planning, Celtic are still short of a reliable edge up front, and Kenny’s form down south only sharpens that conversation.
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