James Forrest: Every trophy I've won at Celtic is something to celebrate

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Celtic F.C.

·17 de mayo de 2024

James Forrest: Every trophy I've won at Celtic is something to celebrate

This season’s title triumph has put James Forrest in esteemed company. It is his 23th major honour as a Celtic player, equaling the record of the club’s legendary captain, Billy McNeill.

Only Cesar’s Lisbon Lions team-mate, Bobby Lennox, has won more as a Celt – 25 honours in total – and Forrest could draw closer to that should the Hoops win the Scottish Cup next weekend.

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Such individual accolades are always secondary to the achievement of the team for Forrest, whose humility has been a key characteristic throughout this life and career with the club.

He also savours each success on its own merits, and so will enjoy Trophy Day on Saturday as much as any other he’s been a part of.

But in a season of many challenges, individually and collectively, all of which have been successfully overcome, Forrest is looking forward to lifting the league trophy on Saturday – his 12th league winner’s medal.

Speaking ahead of the game against St Mirren, he said: “It’s been a long season and there have been loads of different things that have happened throughout the season.

"But it shows that as a club – the players and staff –we are together and the fans as well, and we’ve managed to come through the hard times. So it does make it sweeter.

“The last couple of months it’s been really good, and especially the last few weeks I think we’ve been playing very well and you can see the confidence throughout the team.

“So we’ve got an exciting day tomorrow and I think everyone will enjoy it, and then it’s hard work for a week before the cup final.

“Throughout my full Celtic career, playing out wide as an attacking player, it’s a position where you always have loads of players there, but it’s the first time I’ve been left out of squads when I’ve been fit.

'It was difficult to take – but you just keep working hard and sometimes you need a wee break to get a chance and it came around, so it’s been good.'

Forrest has netted seven goals this season, including five since returning to the team in March, and he was on target in the 5-0 midweek win over Kilmarnock that secured the title.

And he’s looking no further ahead than the next two games. Reminiscing about a career that has so far spanned 494 appearances and 108 goals – which makes him one of the 30 players to have scored over a century of goals for Celtic – will be for when he eventually hangs up his boots.

“When you’re a bit older you get more emotional about it because you know that in a few years’ time, whenever you retire, that’s it done,” he said, “but I have experienced a lot at Celtic and there have been so many highs.

“We had our awards night last week and you see the ex-players coming back and still talking about the club, so I’m always going to have those memories and it’s unbelievable.”