James Forrest

Liel Abada insists Celtic centurion James Forrest provides him with daily advice and inspiration.

The Israeli winger is full of admiration for the Parkhead hero, who penned the latest fantastic chapter in his fairytale career with a weekend hat-trick against Hibs in the Hoops’ 6-1 victory. Abada was just eight years of age when Forrest scored his first top-team goal for Celtic on debut against Motherwell in May 2010.






Over a dozen years later, the attacker has netted in every top-flight season since and has now taken his overall tally to the 100 mark. With 20 winners’ medals and 99 assists also in the bank, few would argue with Ange Postecoglou ’s assessment that Forrest is a club legend. At the age of 31, there is still more to come before he is done and, as a fellow winger, Abada rates his colleague in the highest regards as both a player and a person


A decade his junior, the former Maccabi Petah Tikva star looks destined for a career at the highest level himself. Adaba knows it will take dedication, mentality and ability to do it for a lengthy period of time. And he sees how it’s achieved by watching Forrest

He’s picking up information and tips from his senior pal every single day as they work together at Lennoxtown. Abada said: “Jamesy is a reallygood friend and he has been able to teach me so much. He has been at the club for a long time, has played a lot of games and scored a lot of goals.

“I can learn so much from him and I was so happy to see him score a hat-trick. I speak with him all the time and he gives me a lot of advice.



What I admire most about him is his movement and technique and his finishing is good. I’m happy to have him as a team-mate and, hopefully, he can keep scoring for us because he deserves it.”


Jokingly quizzed on what he was doing all those years ago as a kid when Forrest was firing the first of his 100, he smiled: “I was at school, I think I had just started to play football. This has always been my dream. I am really happy to be here and I am really happy to play for Celtic. This is a really unbelievable club with unbelievable fans.Hopefully, I play a lot of games here.”


That’s what Forrest has done and, when he considered what sort of mentality it requires to go on successfully for as long and score in 14 consecutive seasons, Abada continued: “You have to keep working at it every day and in every game. This is the most important thing.”

Forrest’s value to the group is beyond question. Postecoglou made it crystal clear when a new contract was dished out at the end of last season that there was no sentiment about it.

For a start, the manager always felt there would be occasions when his Scotland international would need to deliver. The weekend treble against Hibs on his first start of the campaign showed that was the correct call, just as some impressive outings from the bench in the matches beforehand had signalled.




Forrest, though, is just as important behind the scenes. The likes of he and Callum McGregor are glue which help bond the dressing room. Homegrown talents, boys who know the club inside-out and can guide newer acquisitions with both words and deeds.

 

Keep him in the team until he goes off form.

 

As James Forrest notched goals 98, 99, and then 100 in a 6-1 victory over Hibernian on Saturday, Ange Postecoglou watched on from the side thrilled to see such an important player and personality to his team reach such a historic milestone.

Over 12 years, Forrest’s goals, trophies and performances have cemented his place as a club great, and it’s a tag that the manager certainly agrees with.

Speaking exclusively to Celtic TV, he said: “He will go down as one of the greats.

“Sometimes you don’t recognise it when it’s in the building every day, but you can see why he’s been so successful for so long because he’s very committed to being a professional and all that entails.

“He’s very strong-willed and you have to be to survive at this football club for so long because of the demands and pressures of success as a team and an individual.

“You just have to see how his team-mates reacted to him on the weekend.

“He’s very popular because he’s one of these guys that’s reliable and treats everyone the same way.

"That was important for me when I came here because there was a lot of change and having someone like James here who’s had that success and knows all about this football club was going to be a help.

“That’s how it transpired but it’s not the reason I kept him about, I kept him because I felt he could contribute on the field and I think he still can.

'There’s still more to come but when it’s all done and dusted he will go down as a great.'

Saturday was another example of the team’s never-say-die attitude, when, no matter the scoreline, the team continue to push to the final minutes.

 

Enjoyed that immensely there. Some of the finishes the wee man has pinged in over the years have been proper top class, ones any striker in the world would be proud of.

That wee outside of the boot thing he does, don't think I've seen anyone do it as many times as him. And am sure I've read plenty * saying he's no got a left foot

What an achievement from wee Shooders. A Celtic great is exactly what he is, and will always be remembered as.

 

Great looking back at those goals.
Thanks for the goals Jamesy and hopefully more to come

 

I have huge respect for wee James Forrest. A true professional who have gave everything for this club his whole career. These type of lads are very rare in the modern game.

 

the general quality of those goals is unreal , not many tap ins at all.

 

How isn’t he starting

 

He's got old bones, needs plenty of rest between games.

 

Will be interesting to see if he starts on Saturday.

He was a cert to start last night but Abada comes in and scores a brace.

Defo a headache for Ange.

 

I think he will start. Just going by what Ange said post match

 

Is the tight pitch at tynecastle suited to Forrest? I don’t think so. Not saying Abada would be better but I think he’s much more suited to Celtic Park.

 

* *, got proper nostalgic watching that. What a guy Shooders is, a true Celtic great.

Made me sad in a way though because * me was he explosive. Makes you realise how much he lost and how quickly. Still made a brilliant career and relied on other aspects of his game.

Also made me miss Hooper a *. What a player he was - must have set Jamesy up for about 10-15 goals.

 

Tell you what, watching that, Forrest and Eddy were a great partnership at times.

Rogic and Forrest were even better.

But it was rare you’d get Rogic, Forrest and Eddy.