Celtic – A to Z – F is for James Forrest

James Forrest will be remembered as one of the most decorated players of recent times, as he has been at the forefront of the Celtic side for over a decade. Since being introduced to the first-team squad by Neil Lennon in 2010, Forrest has, when fit, been a first pick for a number of managers at the club.

It is just a pity that he has suffered so many injuries in the last year, as before that he was arguably in the best form of his career.

Forrest has won 19 honours in his time at Celtic, which is a remarkable total, and one which the player could add to before his time at the club comes to an end. He was always a good player for the Hoops, but the arrival of Brendan Rodgers saw him take his game to a new level for the club.

Under Rodgers’ management, Forrest was able to reach double figures in goals for the first time in his career – something he has managed to do three times now.

He also won accolades from his fellow players and the Scottish football writers in 2019, when he was named player of the year after helping the Bhoys win a third successive domestic treble.

One criticism that could be levelled at Forrest is that for all his good performances at home and abroad, he didn’t have the best record against Rangers.

Thankfully that has improved in recent years, as he scored a memorable solo goal in the 5-0 win over the Ibrox side which clinched the title in 2018, and followed that up a year later with the winning goal in a 2-1 triumph at Celtic Park. No doubt Forrest will want to score a few more goals against Rangers before his career comes to an end.

YouTube: Celtic 2-1 Rangers | Late Forrest Winner Stuns Ten-Men Rangers | Ladbrokes Premiership

As has already been stated, injuries have limited Forrest’s number of appearances for the Hoops over the last year. Celtic’s poor performances in season 2020/21 could have been improved if Forrest had been available on a regular basis.

That might not have been enough for the Bhoys to win the league, but the side could have put up more of a challenge for the title if Forrest had been part of Neil Lennon’s plans more often.

At the time of writing, Forrest has yet to become a first-team regular under Ange Postecoglou due to his continuing injury issues.

However, if he can remain fit, then there is no reason why he cannot become a mainstay of the side. Postecoglou plays attacking football, and when he is at the top of his game Forrest is one of the best attacking players at the club.

He just needs to get over the injuries that have affected him over the last year. If he can do that, then it could be a very productive few seasons for James Forrest at Celtic Park.