Liam Scales has said "the sky's the limit" for Johnny Kenny after the striker's £3 million move to Preston North End.
The two Irishmen became close friends after Kenny joined Celtic from Sligo Rovers in January 2022, six months after Scales made his move to Glasgow. Kenny, just 18 at the time, was taken under Scales' wing as he adapted to life in Scotland.
Scales said: "I got on really well with Johnny. 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 had loan spells at Queen’s Park and Shamrock Rovers before breaking into the Celtic first team, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in 32 appearances.
However, his chances were limited this season, especially during Wilfried Nancy’s difficult period in charge, before joining Bolton Wanderers on loan in January.
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His return to Celtic saw increased competition from new signings Camilo Duran, Kasper Hogh, and Shim Mheuka, leading to his move to Preston. Scales is confident Kenny will make an immediate impact in England.
The defender said: "I’ll keep in touch with him; he’s a close friend. 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."
Scales admitted he will miss Kenny but believes the move is positive for his friend’s career. He said: "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."
Scales also highlighted Kenny’s mental strength, especially during the difficult period under Nancy. He said: "He’s mentally strong. I don’t think he’s one to kind of show that he’s feeling the pressure."
