Celtic’s new Bhoy Jonjoe Kenny was the Celtic player selected to speak to the media yesterday. The Everton defender will spend the next few months playing for the Hoops he’s explained in today’s Matchday Programme that he’s fulfilling an ambition of his by playing for the team he supported as a youngster.
“Obviously, I’m gutted I can’t play in front of the Celtic fans,” Kenny of the Celtic said.. “I’ve watched Celtic in Europe and been blown away by how good the fans are and the atmosphere they create inside Celtic Park.
“I’ve watched Celtic since I was young and had the jerseys and tracksuits so I’ve always known how massive Celtic is as a club. That’s the pressure you’re playing under at a club like Celtic. If you’re not getting results people aren’t going to be happy. That’s part and parcel of playing at a top club like Celtic, there are expectations that you need to live up to every day.”
“I had Celtic jersey’s growing up and Celtic trackies too,” Kenny proudly revealed. “Some of my family are Celtic fans and they’d travel up to Glasgow to see them, so I’ve always had the stuff and known how big the club is.
“As soon as I signed, I was reminded how big the club is with all the messages coming through from people telling me but I knew that before coming. There’s a picture going around on social media and people think it’s me, but it’s actually my cousin, and it’s him wearing a Celtic strip.”
Kenny made an immediate impact on Tuesday night, probably the best right back performance outside of Kris Ajer if you think about it. ““I enjoyed the group straight away. You could tell how close everyone was. Scott Brown and Callum McGregor are great leaders for this team, they know what it means to play for this club and have been playing at the top for years. I’ve tried to take on board everything they’ve said and I’ll concentrate on making sure I do my job as best as I possibly can.”
Kenny also revealed that the conditions on Tuesday helped Celtic perform on that dreadful plastic pitch. “I enjoyed the first game. The surface wasn’t an issue because it was wet, which meant the ball moved around quickly and that suits our style of play. If it was dry it could have been a different game but we had a bit of rain and snow and that made the surface slicker.
“I liked that because you could fire the passes in and the touches are a bit easier on a wet surface when you’re wanting to play quickly. I was a bit concerned how it would be playing on the surface before the game but as soon as I got there and warmed up it was fine,” Kenny added.
He’s been impressed with the quality on show in the Celtic squad, despite the season we’ve been having. “When you look at the team, it’s full of quality throughout and there’s depth in the quality as well. Every team goes through bad patches, but Celtic have won nine league titles on the bounce and this team have won treble after treble. It’s unbelievable what they’ve achieved and while there’s been disappointment this season, you can’t forget how good this team is.
🆕✍️ 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒉𝒐𝒚 🍀
Welcome to #CelticFC, Jonjoe Kenny! 🟢⚪️#WelcomeJonjoe
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 1, 2021
On his debut he was pleased to have had so much of the ball in the game. “It was good to get a lot of the ball. That allowed me to showcase that side of my game rather than just being a defender. The gaffer was big on me doing that and I loved every minute of the game. We played well and got a good win so it was exactly the kind of start you hope for as a player,” he said.
So what does he hope to achieve at Celtic? “Obviously you have your own personal targets but for me, it was an opportunity to come and play for a massive club, get game time and perform. If I can perform well and show the manager how hard I’m willing to work in training them, hopefully, I’m in the team for the next game. If I perform, then I get to remain in the team. That’s a massive thing for me coming to Glasgow. The stature of the club and speaking to the manager has me really excited to play more games for Celtic now and that’s my main target.”
📹 Watch 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕙𝕠𝕪𝕤 training from Lennoxtown as the squad prepare for #CELMOT 🍀🟢 pic.twitter.com/RCjf20qJUk
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 5, 2021
All the best big man and welcome to the best team in scotland and of course the best fans in the world, but please, please don’t have a stinker and loose a game. You might not like the abuse and bile thrown in the direction of your good self and the rest of team sitting on the team bus from our pathetic entitled mob.