Johnny Kenny, born on 9 June 2003 (age 23), is an Irish striker from Riverstown, County Sligo. Celtic signed him from Sligo Rovers in January 2022 for around £140,000, a modest fee for a forward who had already started to build a senior profile in Ireland.
His Celtic years were not a straight line, but they mattered. He had spells away from the club as his game developed, with Shamrock Rovers giving him the most productive league season of his career so far: 13 goals in 29 league appearances in 2024. During his time on Celtic’s books, he was part of squads that won the Premiership in 2024/25 and 2025/26, and he was also a Scottish Cup runner-up.
Kenny left Celtic in September 2026, joining Preston North End for around £3m. He wears squad number 24 there and, in 2026/27, has made four Championship appearances, scoring twice. He has also represented the Republic of Ireland this season, making one appearance in World Cup qualifying.
His current market value is around £1m, according to Transfermarkt. From Sligo to Celtic, through senior football in Ireland and on to Preston, his career has been shaped by steady movement rather than early certainty.
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