---
title: "Celtic: Kieran Devlin makes Johnny Kenny claim"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/kieran-devlin-johnny-kenny-celtic-first-team/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Charlie Smith"
section: "Celtic News"
published: "2022-01-23T14:14:48Z"
modified: "2022-01-23T14:14:48Z"
---

# Celtic: Kieran Devlin makes Johnny Kenny claim

**[The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/3084301/2022/01/21/celtic-alloa-score/?article_source=search&search_query=celtic)‘s Celtic correspondent Kieran Devlin has refused to rule out the possibility of Johnny Kenny breaking into the first team before the end of the campaign.**

### The Lowdown: Kenny arrival

The Hoops pipped Hibernian to Kenny’s services earlier this month, with the 18-year-old joining from Sligo Rovers in a deal worth [£135,000](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/transfers/verein/371).

[Celtic updates!! (Copy)](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-copy/)

Hailed as [‘really important’](https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/sligo-rovers-youngster-johnny-kenny-23768733) by Sligo manager Liam Buckley, Kenny scored [12](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/johnny-kenny/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/875208/verein/8780) times in [34](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/johnny-kenny/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/875208/verein/8780) senior appearances for his former club before penning a [five-year deal](https://www.celticfc.com/news/2022/january/08/johnny-kenny-arrives-from-sligo-rovers/) at Celtic Park.

Celtic didn’t [specify](https://www.celticfc.com/news/2022/january/08/johnny-kenny-arrives-from-sligo-rovers/) where Kenny would initially feature when announcing the transfer, although he is [yet to make a matchday squad](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/johnny-kenny/leistungsdaten/spieler/875208) under Ange Postecoglou.

### The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin ran a Q&A on [The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/3084301/2022/01/21/celtic-alloa-score/?article_source=search&search_query=celtic) for Celtic’s Scottish Cup game with Alloa on Saturday and was asked by one supporter before the match if Kenny could break into Postecoglou’s first-team plans or if he was mainly for the club’s B team.

The journalist didn’t rule out a possible breakthrough for the teenager before the end of the season, saying: “I understand he was signed first and foremost for the Bs, but who knows what the season holds further down the line. Depends how well he trains.”

\[freshpress-quiz id=”383272″\]

### The Verdict: Interesting…

Kenny already has a [proven](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/johnny-kenny/leistungsdaten/spieler/875208) goalscoring record at senior level, albeit in the League of Ireland, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he were making the matchday squad before the season comes to an end.

Should Albian Ajeti leave the club before the month is out, as is [expected](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/transfer-news-live-rangers-celtic-26018786), Kenny would be one of just [two](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/kader/verein/371) out-and-out centre-forwards at the club alongside Georgios Giakoumakis.

The Hoops have also had [terrible luck with injuries](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ange-postecoglou-admits-celtic-injuries-25662325) this season, with star forward [Kyogo Furuhashi](https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/kyogo-furuhashis-celtic-season-not-22838455) currently out, so if Kenny stays fit and firing for the B team, then he may well get his chance under Postecoglou in the next few months.

***In other news: [‘Absolute travesty’ – Journalist reacts as Celtic swoop for Jota now in ‘doubt’](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-news/celtic-benfica-optimistic-of-jota-return/)***