James Forrest

Next year I think, sure Ange got him 3 year contract. People were baffled about the length of it, as he wasn’t really a feature under Ange.

Got to appreciate Jamesy man, to think we accepted 3 offers for him last January and he said no, not interested in it he wants to start and end his career here.

And then came in for the run in and was one of the main reasons we sealed the league win. Came back from injury when we were starting to flounder and has been a big part of back to form last two games.

I’ve always said he’s never been appreciated as much as he deserves, think now he’s approaching the end stage of his career and has been important at important times in a season, that feels like he’s now getting it. For me, he’s unquestionably a Legend

 

Dont know but just reckon its the fickle fanbase that will always have a pop at the homegrown when we get a poor result. Majority of our fans really appreciate what he is bringing to the table in the twilight of his career.
Good to know he will be here next season, if thats the case with his contract.

 

We are weird with them, we hype them up so much at first and when there’s any inconsistency like what happens with young players they get ripped apart.

Some guys when they’ve decided that they’re not going to make it, I think just stubbornly sticm to that so they don’t have to admit they’re wrong.

Calmac the very rare times he has 2 bad games in a row it comes out as well

 

That was like the Forrest of years gone by yesterday, thought he played very well.

 

Hope he gets his goal before the end of the season so he can keep that record going. Definitely has another couple of seasons left in him going by recent performances.

 

It would be nice to see if he can keep the scoring streak alive for sure. Maybe the goal that clinches the league next weekend

 

Jamesy to score the first against the Arabs?

 

We all love him' - Jota on 'humble' Forrest


With James Forrest closing in on becoming Celtic's most decorated player, the veteran winger's influence on the squad does not go unnoticed.

Following Sunday's thumping Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Johnstone, fellow forward Jota expressed how much the 33-year-old is idolised by his team-mates.

Forrest moved level with Celtic legend Bobby Lennox as the club's most decorated player following December's Scottish League Cup triumph over Rangers.

He will move out on his own on 26 major honours when the Parkhead side inevitably clinch the Scottish Premiership title - and another Scottish Cup trophy next month would extend that tally further.

"Yeah, he's a humble player, humble person," Jota said of Forrest. "There's not a single person in the locker room that doesn't love James.

"He's a breath of fresh air. Everyone loves to play with him, to hang out with him. And, yeah, we're just learning from him.

"If we can help him achieve [becoming Celtic's most decorated player], that's what we're looking for."

 

Jamesy has 5 league games to score and preserve his record of scoring in every league season he has played, a run going all the way back to the ill fated Mowbray season. I hope he finds the net, if he's on the pitch and we're comfortably in the lead if we get a pen, Arne can step aside!

 

I think he changed a lot of minds at the end of last season. The fact he was set to go out on loan in January, didn't want to, and then helped get us over the line in the last couple of months was a proper sliding doors moment. Not too wild to suggest that without him there's a decent chance we would have blown the league.

 

He and CM are the perfect counterarguments to people who say "of course anyone would take the money" whenever an EPL club comes calling. I think they are both better players than the likes of Ryan Christie and could easily have done what he did and earned more money at some mid-table EPL club; but they chose to stay.

 

Alistair Johnston has sung the praises of fellow Celtic player James Forrest, as he continues to chase the unique title of being the club’s most decorated player in history.


Indeed, the 33-year-old winger has 25 medals to his name during his time at the club, level with Lisbon Lion Bobby Lennox. With the prospect of a title win this weekend at Tannadice, his teammate Johnston has issued glowing praise on the veteran. "James’ achievements might get lost due to his humility and quieter nature,” he said on the Official Celtic Podcast.

"He’s not in the media spotlight a lot and is never really looking for the camera. He’s a living legend, and I always joke with James and say, ‘Where do you want the statue — Lennoxtown or Celtic Park?’

"But in all seriousness, he may very well get a statue for that career that he’s had. To think about the history of this club, the players who have come through it and the success that it's had, to have a chance to go down as the most decorated is an amazing achievement

I hope that we can all get this done — not only for the club, but for James. What a way to leave a legacy on a club - a Scottish kid who grew up just down the road, that would be a heck of an achievement. Not just for James, but for the entire fanbase - in 20 years, people will say, ‘I watched James Forrest play live’.

"You can tell all your children and grandchildren what it was like to see him."

Johnston continued: "He’s just an unbelievable player. You can’t forget how good a footballer he is, I see it in training and on the pitch. He provides something different, and to have that longevity, in that position, at a big club is really impressive.

"Along with Callum McGregor, he is a club legend, and I have been lucky enough to share a pitch with them

 

He'll deserve that statue... Always reliable, always quiet and professional (drunken, * out incident aside!) and a one-club man in an era that's very rare...

 

James Forrest, as a Celtic servant of over 15 years now, would have every right to feel a little irked that he doesn’t have a specific song that the fans sing in his honour, while fellow winger Jota had one when he was barely in the door.

Not only that, it was then recorded by a professional artist and became something of a smash hit.


Envy isn’t really in Forrest’s make-up though. Besides, his own personal hit parade at Celtic is more than enough to comfort him.

It has been well documented that the 33-year-old will become the club’s most decorated player when Celtic clinch the league title, moving ahead of Bobby Lennox on 26 major honours



Forrest himself doesn’t like to shout about the achievement too much, but Jota is more than happy to sing the praises of a man who is still making it difficult for young bucks like himself to get into Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI, even at this advanced stage of his career.

“Come on, he's not that old, 33 is the new 22!” Jota said


Don't do him like that. But yeah, credit to him, James has had an unbelievable career and we're just all grateful to him on the pitch and on the team.

“[His medal collection] speaks for itself. I think there's not one single person in the locker room that doesn't love James, as a person and a football player, so we just try to drink from his wisdom and to learn from him and just be a part of his journey.”


That journey has taken Forrest from the scrawny teen who bagged a debut goal off the bench against Motherwell way back in 2010 to becoming one of the main leaders in the Celtic dressing room, and in his second spell at the club, Jota is trying to follow his example.

“I think there's a lot of good personalities in the club and everyone tries to transmit to us what the values of Celtic are,” he said.

“And yeah, James was no different from that, you can learn a lot from him and I'm just grateful that I'm doing this with him.

“I think being here for the first time and having lived what I lived, it was really good, and I think the core group was still here when I came back.

“I still try to learn from them but whoever comes new, I just try to help them and just perform with them, because in the end, it's about all being together and giving the best for Celtic.”

 

James Forrest is on the cusp of becoming the most decorated Celtic player of all time.


But the one-club man has no plans to retire as the baby-faced assassin prepares to turn 34 this summer.


Forrest is tied on major honours with Bobby Lennox but will edge in front of the Lisbon Lion if Celts wrap up the league this weekend.


He could add an astonishing 27th winners' medal to the collection should the Treble-chasers complete another clean sweep in next month's Scottish Cup Final.

A modern-day great, Forrest still has a major role to play under Brendan Rodgers after recently signing a contract extension until 2026.

And the age-defying winger insists the thought of hanging up his boots hasn't crossed his mind as he savours the most dominant period in Celtic's history


He told Sky Sports: "It's something when you're coming through that you don't think about.

"Sometimes people try and ask you what's your favourite but there have been that many good ones over the years.

"You want to make it into the first team, you want to play as many games as you can and win trophies and be part of such a successful team.


"It's a team game, but personal accolades are nice as well. It's just been a small part of the success over the years with Celtic.

"You see all the names there and the amount of great players that have played for this club, it's unbelievable

"I've played here so many times and I'm still enjoying it as much as ever. I'm just going to keep working hard to be here as long as I can

"I'm not really one for over my career to think I want to do this or I want to do that. I just try and enjoy every day in the moment.

"The amount of highs that I've had over the years has been incredible. I just want to keep working hard to hopefully get a few more of them to come


Forrest - who made a goalscoring debut against Motherwell in 2010 - has netted 108 times in 522 appearances for the Hoops.

The Scotland international has yet to add to his tally this term but has six games left to achieve another personal milestone of scoring in 16 consecutive seasons.

He said: "Yeah, it's one that a few people have been talking about recently. Obviously, I want to do that.

I've been back involved in the last few games and I want to help contribute to the team.

"In my position that's what I want to do and hopefully I can score in the next couple of games."

 

Mental to win the League 13 times, nobody would have predicted anything like that when he first played.

If he wins it again and get's to 14 it will be a new record.

 

It's mad how many important goals he's scored for us over the years. Some boy

 

It truly is incredible what Forrest has achieved by staying at Celtic rather then chasing the moment earlier in his career. A real lesson to others as to what you can achieve if you stay and lets face it while obviously Forrest hasn't earned the money he could have elsewhere he has still done very well for himself financially too at Celtic I am sure.