Former Celtic player Frank McAvennie has compared Jonjoe Kenny to Liverpool defender Andy Robertson after seeing his debut for the Hoops against Kilmarnock.
The right-back joined the Scottish champions from Everton on loan on Monday and he was given his first appearance by manager Neil Lennon a day later. McAvennie says he was impressed with the fullback’s defensive qualities:
“It was an impressive debut from Kenny. A couple of decisions he made last night showed me that he is a proper full-back. He makes the right choices. His first instinct is to defend. His first job is to defend. I like Kenny because he is a proper defender like Robertson at Liverpool. It’s great to have someone similar.”
Kenny had an excellent first game and he will be hoping to replicate that display when Celtic take on Motherwell this afternoon. With Jeremie Frimpong having left for Bayer Leverkusen and Hatem Abd Elhamed having barely featured this season, the January signing will have to play a lot of games over the coming months.
The 23-year-old should be fresh, though, having made just eight appearances for Everton in all competitions this campaign before he sealed his loan switch to Parkhead.
Kenny’s loan lasts until the end of the season but his future beyond that is unlikely to be with the Scottish club. His manager at Everton, Carlo Ancelotti, said earlier this week he plans to keep the fullback when he returns in the summer.
