For the past ten or so days, James Forrest’s comeback has been the focus of almost every headline from Celtic. And quite deservedly so.
The change in his circumstances has been astounding, especially considering that he did not play a single minute of first team football between December 23 and March 10. There will be much discussion about whether his recent inclusion was intentional or coincidental, but in reality, it’s most likely a mix of the two.
Although Celtic doesn’t lack wingers, they do need wingers who can regularly produce, which is the primary justification for bringing back 32-year-old Forrest. Although Luis Palma, Yang, and Nicholas Khun, the new additions, have shown glimpses of their potential, none have been able to consistently deliver in green and white thus far. In addition, Brendan Rodgers’ vast range of alternatives this season has been somewhat diminished by the losses of Jota in the summer and Liel Abada more recently, in addition to Daizen Maeda’s physical problems.
Here’s the third-most decorated player for Celtic! Remarkably, throughout our 136-year history, Forrest is only second to Billy McNeill and Bobby Lennox in terms of medals won. He shares this record of 22 trophies with former skipper Scott Brown. In his fourteen seasons with Celtic’s first team, he has seen and done it all, making him a guy Rodgers knows he can rely on. Simply said, Celtic’s three-point lead at the top of the table is due to his two goals against Dundee, with his first goal in particular showcasing his extraordinary technical abilities
Beyond skill, though, his physical state also demonstrates a player who, in spite of his lack of playing time recently, has obviously maintained a high degree of professionalism. Forrest appears to be a man who is always willing to help when needed, and it appears that this crucial point in the season has come at just the right moment. Celtic’s No. 49 suddenly appears crucial to the title challenge with just four league games left, and with three goals in two games, he has once again come through for his team when they most needed him.
He will pass Billy McNeill into second place in the Hoops accolades list if Celtic manages to win both the league and the cup in the coming weeks. Even while that would be an incredible accomplishment for a player who might still have one or two seasons remaining in him, he and his manager’s primary objective right now is Hearts on Saturday. Maybe—just maybe—we can look at rewriting the history books if we can successfully assert all three of those things.
Get related news on
sportchannel.co.uk
Leave a Reply