We haven’t wiped Preston’s eye. Johnny Kenny is worthy of a £3m price tag | OneFootball

News reached us this morning that Johnny Kenny has left Celtic on a permanent basis in a £3m transfer to Preston North End…

Midseason Friendly, Tolka Park, Dublin 7 7 2026 Shelbourne vs Celtic Johnny Kenny and Liam Scales of Celtic Johnny Kenny and Liam Scales. Photo IMAGO

The money involved has sparked a lot of debate online, with many Celtic fans thinking we have wiped Preston’s eye securing such a fee, a suggestion I totally disagree with.

Johnny Kenny has always been one of those figures for Celtic that a lot of our fan base tend to underrate. Similar to compatriot Liam Scales, Kenny has often been the focus of fan ridicule when things haven’t fallen his way. Personally I believe Kenny is a decent striker who is well worthy of a £3m price tag.

Johnny Kenny scores. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Some of the comments I have read regarding Kenny are absolutely ridiculous. People saying he’s up there with some of the worst strikers we have ever had. Really? For a start we had two worse strikers on our books only last season in Cvancara and Adamu. We also have had the likes of Amido Blade, Albian Ajeti and Mo Bangura unfortunately wear the hoops over the years. Kenny is nowhere near that bracket.

Most of the haters are basing their opinion on Kenny’s time last season under Wilfried Nancy, where he admittedly struggled in front of goal. One thing he never did however was down tools. He always gave 100% and should be respected for that. All strikers can go through a lean spell and under Nancy he was far from the only player whose form dipped.

Outside of that spell he scored some important goals in a season where every goal mattered. His goal against the Rangers was huge.

Johnny Kenny celebrates. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Unfortunately Celtic may just have been a bit too big of a club for Kenny. He gave it his all but the pressure leading the line for Celtic is massive and unfortunately his confidence got annihilated after the lean spell under Nancy.

He needed a fresh start and got that at Bolton where he provided plenty of important goals and assists, helping them win promotion out of League One.

He also had an impressive spell on loan at Shamrock Rovers where he scored a brace in a Champions League qualifier against Viking, before scoring 5 and assisting once during the Irish sides Conference League campaign.

His form during these loan spells are what Preston are paying £3m for. Celtic may have been too big a step up for him but he has proved twice that he can be an asset at a certain level.

Johnny Kenny of Celtic celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Scottish Cup Fourth Round match between Auchinleck Talbot and Celtic at Rugby Park on January 18, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

Getting regular goals and assists at League One and Conference League level isn’t to be sniffed at and is why Championship clubs were battling for his signature. £3m is absolutely nothing in the modern English game so I don’t know why some of our fans are acting like we have won the lottery with this one. It wouldn’t surprise me if Preston end up selling him for much more in years to come.

So thank you Johnny Kenny for giving your all for Celtic. You got on with things quietly and never complained.

You achieved much more during your time in Glasgow than many players who arrived with vastly bigger transfer fees and reputations. You got to live out your dream and can be proud of what you gave to the club over the years.

14th January 2026; Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Falkirk versus Celtic; Johnny Kenny of Celtic

I wish you all the best at Preston and hope you prove yourself to be a huge success in England.

Conall McGinty

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