Celtic have one of their veteran stars to thank for keeping them in a handy position regarding the Scottish Premiership title race against Dundee.
Last Sunday, Brendan Rodgers made one change from his side that narrowly squeezed past Aberdeen on Scottish Cup semi-final day, with James Forrest replacing Hyunjun Yang off the left flank.
Rolling back the years, the 32-year-old netted a stunning double to restore his side’s three-point advantage at the summit, prompting Rodgers to laud the Scotland international in his post-match thoughts.
He stated: “Two great finishes. I said to the players afterwards that he has been one of the fathers of the great success that this club has had over the last decade, what he’s given on and off the pitch.”
Given his experience at this stage in the season, coupled with the inconsistent form of some of Celtic’s other wingers, Forrest has made a compelling case to gain a fifth start of 2023/24 at home to Heart of Midlothian on Saturday.
Per Transfermarkt, the Prestwick-born man has registered six goals and one assist in 24 appearances across all competitions this term, which is a commendable record given his lack of minutes.
James Forrest opens up on Scotland call-up murmurs
In light of his recent form, pundits such as Michael Stewart have suggested Forrest could force his way into Scotland’s squad for EURO 2024 in Germany this summer.
Squad sizes for the tournament have opened up to 26 players instead of 23, though Forrest hasn’t won a call-up for the Tartan Army since 2021.
Cited via The Scotsman, Forrest hasn’t closed the door on being selected for Scotland and admitted he hasn’t booked a summer holiday yet, as is the norm for footballers amid their chaotic schedule.
He stated: “I have not thought about it once. You never book a holiday early in this game; it’s always at the last minute.
“If you ask any Scottish player, you’d want to be involved. I went to the last Euros, and it was a great experience from the first day of camp to the end. My last cap was at the Euros. But I need to concentrate on what I am doing here.”
Ultimately, it will be up to Steve Clarke to decide whether Forrest merits a place on the plane; however, his hand may be forced due to mounting injury problems involving many of his players at club level.
Either way, we will need to wait and see on that front, and trying to win a domestic double will be the primary focus for the Celtic star over the coming weeks.
