Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has been discussing the important role that winger James Forrest still has in this current Celtic set up, twelve years after making his first team debut. The beginning of the Australian’s reign at the start of the season ignited a mass exodus at the club as the manager got rid of the deadwood, and made it clear to the remaining stars that anyone who no longer wanted to be at the club was more than welcome to leave.
This led to the likes of Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard and Kris Ajer exiting for England but one first team star that remained was Scotland international Forrest, who is one of those rare commodities in modern football, a one club player who has dedicated his whole career to the team that gave him his opportunity in the game.
The winger has made over 270 appearances while at Celtic Park, winning an incredible 19 major honours including nine league titles since debuting for the senior squad in 2010. With Scott Brown leaving during the summer to further his ambitions in the coaching side of the game, Forrest is Celtic’s longest serving player having represented the club at senior level a few years longer than Tom Rogic and club captain Callum McGregor.
Forrest got his first goal of this campaign last month against Livingston, which incredibly saw him make it 13 seasons in a row scoring in Scotland’s top flight. His current manager appreciates the benefits of having the winger at the club and claims the player is still mixing it with the best in the squad during training.
Speaking to the Celtic View, Postecoglou said: “With someone like James, when I see him in training and how he’s training every day, he’s making an impact. Our training is very competitive and he’s right up there.
“So I know he’s ready to put in a big performance. Other people don’t have that insight.
“For me, it may sound like I’ve produced something miraculous but not really because I’ve got a lot of information that I’m making these decisions on, but other people don’t.
“James is a very first-team orientated guy but he makes an impact in big moments. He wants that responsibility.
“He’s not fazed by what comes at him on or off the field.
“He’s definitely going to go down as one of the greats and one of the ones who, at the end of his career, we will probably appreciate him more than while he was playing.”
Postecoglou is correct in his assessment that Forrest will probably be more appreciated after retirement. It’s incredible that up until a couple of years ago, the Celtic fans had never actually came up with a song in honour of the winger, and even once they did it was only as a direct replacement for the name Brendan Rodgers in the ‘here for ten in a row’ song.
Forrest has shown Celtic great loyalty throughout the years, especially in the early days when he was often linked with a move down south. During his time with the club he has amassed nearly a century of both goals and assists. Currently on 97 goals, it would be perfect if he managed to get to the magic 100 mark before the end of this season, further cementing his legacy at Parkhead.
Although not appearing quite as often this season as he has done in previous seasons, it is good to hear that Ange Postecoglou still sees him as an integral part of his squad. The experience he has amassed over the years will be vital as we enter the tail end of this season. The newer and younger members of our squad will be looking towards players such as Forrest who have been involved in these types of title scraps before for leadership.
I’m sure that if Celtic manage to pull it off this season it will go down as one of the sweetest in Forrest’s time at Parkhead, and with his contract not ending until next summer, will present Forrest with the opportunity to have one more crack at the Champions League next season. The perfect swansong for a player who was the hero so many times before during hard fought European qualifiers.
Conall McGinty
