‘The sky’s the limit’ – Liam Scales backs Johnny Kenny to thrive after Celtic exit
Kenny arrived at Parkhead from Sligo Rovers in January 2022, just six months after fellow Irishman Scales made the move to Glasgow.
The pair quickly developed a close relationship, with Scales taking the then-18-year-old striker under his wing.
“I got on really well with Johnny. I moved over in August, and I think he came in the following January,” Scales said via TCW. “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.”
Kenny spent time on loan at Queen’s Park and Shamrock Rovers before breaking into the Celtic first team, scoring seven goals and providing three assists across 32 appearances.
However, his opportunities became limited and he endured a difficult spell during Wilfried Nancy’s short-lived reign before Martin O’Neill sanctioned a January loan move to Bolton Wanderers.
With Celtic adding Camilo Duran, Kasper Hogh and Shim Mheuka to their attacking options this summer, Kenny has now moved on permanently in search of regular football.
Scales believes the Championship move can bring the best out of the 22-year-old.
“I’ll keep in touch with him, he’s a close friend,” Scales added. “I do think he’ll hit the ground running and score a lot of goals.
“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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Scales has found himself filling another role for Celtic following Kieran Tierney’s injury absence.
The natural centre-back started at left-back in Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory over Aberdeen, and with new Chelsea loanee Landon Emenalo still a few weeks away from returning from injury, Scales could continue there in the short term.
“I think I’m comfortable because I’ve played there before,” he said. “When you play a lot of games at centre-half, and you don’t get exposed to maybe the amount of running at full-back, especially when you’re being asked to press and swing, it can be difficult for the first couple of games to get that kind of fitness back.
“But once you get used to it – I felt better the other night than I did the last time I played left-back, so I feel like I’ve adapted now to that sort of running. That’s the main difference.
“I’m comfortable playing there. I’ve always said, as long as I’m in the team, I’m happy. I want to contribute and do as well as I can in any position.
“I need to work on my shooting a little bit, instead of heading and kicking. I’ll have to start doing a bit of shooting in training! But I think the way we play – where the full-backs can be inside and outside – you’re going to get chances, like KT scored a couple of goals last season, we’ve seen it with Alistair Johnston as well. I’ll just have to work on it now, I suppose.
“I scored on my league debut when I played left back – but I was a lot younger then!”
Celtic strengthened in the closing stages of the transfer window, bringing in Emenalo, Sam Johnstone, Mheuka, Joel van den Berg and Jordan Lotomba.
But it was summer arrival Duran who again caught the eye against Aberdeen, opening the scoring before setting up Hyun-jun Yang.
The Colombian has made an immediate impression since his £6m move from Qarabag, and Scales believes Celtic’s new-look squad has the potential to reach another level once the latest arrivals settle.
“I definitely feel like we’re more fluid in the front areas, more dangerous,” he added. “It does help because it takes pressure off us defensively.
