Johnny Kenny missed an absolute sitter for Shamrock Rovers in their monumental tie away to Chelsea last night.
The Irish outfit travelled to Stamford Bridge to contest the final Conference League clash of the early phase.
Celtic loanee Kenny has had a tremendous campaign in all competitions for Rovers with 20 goals and four assists in 43 outings.
And the 21-year-old had the opportunity to add to his tally early on against Enzo Maresca’s Premier League giants when the ball came across from the right-flank and into Kenny’s path in the six-yard box.
Dylan Watts flashed in a brilliant cross but Kenny – with only goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen to beat – fluffed his lines and sent the ball well wide of the mark when all it would have taken was a decent connection to score.
It will likely be a moment Kenny will never forget and he’s sure to have nightmares over the miss, but it should certainly not take any gloss off the Irishman’s season.
Kenny has scored big goals in the Conference League and actually has five in the competition which is definitely not a record to be brushed aside.
Johnny Kenny won’t be fazed by one miss vs Chelsea
The miss vs Chelsea certainly won’t define the attacker who also has more opportunities to add to his tally in the knockout stages when they come.
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Kenny has been tipped for a Celtic recall and it is little wonder considering how good he has been in the League of Ireland.
Many perhaps will scoff at the level he’s been playing at but a striker scoring at any level is important and his Euro exploits can only help.
Brendan Rodgers likes to have three strikers available and Kenny could be one of those when he returns with Kyogo and Adam Idah the main pair.
Kenny’s stats which give him chance at Celtic spot
Johnny Kenny Shamrock Rovers stats, 2024/5
Played: 43
Goals: 20
Assists: 4
The talk is already that Celtic will give Kenny the chance to prove himself in the first-team.
Pundit Tam McManus feels Kenny could be handed an opportunity and that would do the player no harm.
He is contracted until 2026 at Parkhead, too, so seeing what he is all about in Glasgow should be something Rodgers looks to do before making any decisions.
One thing is for sure, the lad knows how to put the ball in the net. One off night in London won’t dent his confidence too much.
You can watch Kenny’s miss, should you wish to, from one minute into the highlights coverage above.
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