Brendan Rodgers will assess striker Johnny Kenny over the coming days and weeks before making a decision on his short-term Celtic future, with the striker impressing his manager with his performance off the bench against Ross County on Saturday.

Kenny spent the first half of the season on loan at Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland, bagging 20 goals in all competitions and gaining experience of European football in the Champions League qualifiers and in the Conference League.

The 21-year-old has made an impression in training since returning to Celtic, with Rodgers seeing the benefits of his loan spell, and he is currently mulling over whether to keep him at the club for the remainder of the season or whether to send him out for further game-time on another loan deal.

“I was delighted for Johnny,” Rodgers said.

(Image: Brian Lawless - PA) “Obviously a young player, came in before, had to go away. And I hadn't seen him before, but coming back in and speaking to the guys, yes, he looks a bit stronger than what he was before.

“The one thing that I love with young players is the enthusiasm. Because with enthusiasm, there's no expectation. They just come in and play. And they come and run. And that's what he gave us when he came into the pitch [on Saturday].

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“Sometimes the older players, and I would say the same thing to an older player, just as long as you maintain your enthusiasm for the game, then you just go and play. And Johnny did that when he came into the game.

“Straight away, his contact, his touch of the ball was good, he was on the move. The last goal, he's there, thereabouts, that creates the chaos in the box. And we finished well.

(Image: SNS Group) “So, he's come in, he's only been in just over a week. We'll continue to monitor him, be around it. And then it's the next decision then. Is he going to stay and be a part, or does he still need more game time on loan?

“But at this moment, I've been really pleased. He showed a wonderful enthusiasm for football and to work and he's done really well. And I can see, 25 yards in, he's a really, really good finisher.”