Liam Scales has backed Johnny Kenny to kick on at Preston North End after the striker brought his time at Celtic to an end.

Kenny has joined the Championship side in a permanent move after spending the second half of last season on loan at Bolton, where he showed what he can do when given regular football.

At Celtic, that pathway was always going to be difficult. The Hoops strengthened their attacking options late in the window, and Kenny needed games at this stage of his career.

For Scales, though, it is more than just another player moving on.

The Celtic defender has known Kenny since the early days of his own move from Ireland to Glasgow, and the pair grew close during their time at the club.

Scales said: (TCW), “I got on really well with Johnny. I moved over in August, and I think he came in the following January.

“He was only 18, he was a boy. I kind of took him under my wing, and we did a lot together, spent a lot of time together. To see him develop and grow into the man he is now, it was a great journey we’ve had together.”

That bond will not disappear just because Kenny has moved south.

Scales said: “I’ll keep in touch with him, he’s a close friend.

“I do think he’ll hit the ground running and score a lot of goals.”

Kenny’s loan spell at Bolton gave him a run of starts and a chance to build rhythm. That was something he was unlikely to get consistently at Celtic, and Scales believes the Preston move makes sense for him now.

He said: “He showed in his loan spell at the end of last season, he’s got a lot of quality, and I think the stage he’s at now, that’s what he wanted, to go and play games and score goals.

“It’s a positive move for him in that sense. I’m obviously sad to see him go, and I think a part of him will be sad because he spent a lot of time here and developed as a man here as well. So he’ll be sad to leave, but I think the sky’s the limit now for him.”

There were difficult spells for Kenny at Celtic. Any young striker trying to break through at a club expected to win every week is going to feel that at times.

Scales, though, believes Kenny has the character to deal with it.

“He’s mentally strong. I don’t think he’s one to kind of show that he’s feeling the pressure,” Scales continued. “We all kind of helped him through it, like we do for anyone who’s going through a bit of a sticky spell. I’m looking forward to watching him now and seeing how he does.”

Kenny leaves Celtic with plenty still ahead of him. Preston should give him the minutes he needs, and Scales clearly expects his close friend to make the most of them.