I always remember Willie Wallace telling Celtic Fans to get off James Forrest’s back when he was back in Scotland five or six years ago. Willie goes out of his way to watch all The Celtic games on TV and at that time couldn’t believe the stick that Forrest was getting from the stands.
Speaking at a supporters function down at the Greenock Celtic Supporters Club will pointed out that Forrest was in his opinion the best player in the team and one day would be worth £10million as he had absolutely everything required to be a top, top player.
Forrest is these days worth that sum at the very least but thankfully he has no intentions of every leaving Celtic to play elsewhere.
And he has certainly silenced his critics over the past three years or so.
Now he is about to do the same for Scotland – where of all The Celtic boys in that squad over the past few years, Forrest is the one that the Tartan Army target for this wee dig at Celtic.
Last night former Celtic striker Tony Watt was on Super Scoreboard and was asked who is the best player he has ever played with? He didn’t go for some of the big names now playing in the English Premier League – Wanyama, or Van Dijk for instance – no, he didn’t hesitate to select James Forrest as his number 1.
“Who is the best player I’ve played with? James Forrest I’d say,” Watt said.
“He was just unbelievable. He had a hard time with injuries when I was there but when he came out to training he would just terrorise people.
“I sat in the stand at the Nou Camp one night. He just tore Jordi Alba apart and I just thought this guy is special.
“I was always his biggest fan on social media and people used to go against it, maybe because he’s quiet and is not out there.
“Now I get to laugh at all the comments I look back at.
“He was a scapegoat for a while, that’s what annoyed me because of how good he is.
“I know he’s fast, but how he can do the things he does running at that pace is just on another planet.”
Tony Watt was on the radio as he is currently auctioning off various football shirts from the great and the good for charity. He spoke about that goal against Barcelona and also his pride in making his debut for Celtic.
“I remember when I made my debut at Motherwell, and I turned round to the stand and after I scored I just saw people up in their feet.
“That’s probably the first time it hit me that my dream was a reality.
“Obviously scoring against Barca is a once in a life time moment.
“But I always wanted my name on the back of a Celtic top and I always wanted to play for Celtic and stepping on and scoring that day, that was probably just as big, knowing that I had done it.
“After that I could have just retired after making my debut!
“The stand just erupted that day. The Barcelona goal was maybe more of a blur but that one will stay in my mind. That was my real, first fairy tale moment for me.”
