Celtic announce glamour friendly for James Forrest testimonial, latest Japan fixture, ticket details

Celtic have revealed they will welcome Athletic Bilbao to Glasgow for a friendly to honour club legend James Forrest.

The 31-year-old will enter his 15th season in the club’s first-team next season and his testimonial committee have confirmed they have lined up Bilbao for the glamour match which will also form part of the Basque side's 125th anniversary celebrations.

Forrest, who emerged through the club’s youth academy, is a one-club player and one of the most decorated individuals in Celtic’s history, winning 21 trophies.

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The fixture will be played ahead of the new season, on Tuesday, August 1 at Celtic Park with “a significant proportion of funds raised” going to Kilbryde Hospice and Celtic FC Foundation. Tickets for the fixture will go on sale to season ticket holders on Friday, May 26 with prices £22 for standard briefs and £14 for concessions.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou said: “James has been a hugely important figure to Celtic across so many years, contributing massively to such a sustained period of success for the club and he is really deserving of this great honour. Although he has achieved so much he is someone who remains so humble and unassuming, continuing to quietly get on with his job and striving every day to do all he can to bring more and more success to our supporters.”

The club’s chief executive Michael Nicholson added: “James has committed himself to Celtic and has delivered success after success to our supporters and our club, for which we are all grateful. James could not be more deserving of this honour and I am sure the match will be a great celebration of his Celtic career.”

Meanwhile, the club have confirmed the latest opponents for the pre-season tour to Japan. Celtic will now take on Gamba Osaka at the Panasonic Stadium Suita on Saturday, July 22, three days after playing Postecoglou’s former club Yokohama F. Marinos. The team will then travel to South Korea where they will face Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers at Suwon World Cup Stadium on Wednesday, July 26. Tickets for the Osaka encounter will go on sale on June 5.

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