Johnny Kenny will be secretly delighted after Celtic were humiliated once again
Johnny Kenny has struggled this season after emerging as a first-team candidate at Celtic.
To date, the young striker has scored only six times in 21 appearances in all competitions, with the 22-year-old only ending his goal drought against Auchinleck Talbot on Sunday.
As a result, Kenny has been blasted for his performances for Celtic, with the Hoops’ lack of firepower costing them in the race for the title.
Therefore, Martin O’Neill has been on the hunt for a new striker at Celtic Park, something that has proven to be tricky to date.
Celtic set to miss out on Joel Piroe
Celtic made a surprise move for Leeds’ Joel Piroe last week, which has now been firmly rejected.
The 49ers’ ties with both Leeds and Rangers made the deal impossible, with the Hoops once again humiliated on the transfer front.
However, one player who will be secretly delighted with this news is Kenny.
If a striker of Piroe’s calibre was brought into the Old Firm side, his minutes would be massively reduced.
Johnny Kenny nips in front of the ‘keeper to net the opener for @CelticFC!#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/pe19T4syzk
— Scottish Gas Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) January 18, 2026
Yet, Celtic appear incapable of attracting any top attacker to the club, meaning his position in the starting XI remains safe for now.
As a result, while this may harm the Hoops at present, Kenny will know that he will continue to be given chances to turn his form around, something he will be backing himself to do.
Is Kenny capable of being Celtic’s number one striker this season?
As poor as Kenny has been, there are plenty of stats that suggest he could bang in the goals if his confidence returns.
According to Fotmob on 19 January, the striker is averaging 5.10 shots, a 0.89 xG per match this season in the Scottish Premiership.
However, per game, he is still only bagging 0.52 goals despite the chances that are being presented to him every week.
| Johnny Kenny’s Scottish Premiership stats this season | Per 90 minutes |
| Goals | 0.52 |
| xG | 0.89 |
| Shots | 5.10 |
| Shots on target | 1.44 |
| Assists | 0.26 |
| Chances created | 1.31 |
Therefore, if the youngster can become more consistent in front of the net, he could score a ton before the season is out.
As it stands, Kenny will likely be given minutes against Bologna on Thursday in the Europa League. If he can score again here, he could give O’Neill plenty to consider ahead of the crucial Hearts tie on the weekend.