Only one player featured in both halves as Brendan Rodgers did so to tune up his squad for the final time before the start of the Premiership season. Of course, that individual was James Forrest on the night of his testimonial when Athletic Club Bilbao were hosted and beaten 3-2 in a topsy-turvy affair. Across it, the Celtic support – minus notably absent ultras group the Green Brigade – offered up their appreciation with genuine warmth to a player who has never courted acclaim, never been a badge-kissing showman, to the detriment of his achievements in being Celtic’s joint-third most decorated player with 22 honours being recognised as befits them.

In some ways his testimonial proved in keeping with his 13-year senior career. He was the centre of attention, and he wasn’t. Forrest departed the encounter in 49 minutes – a nod to shirt number – after a typically diligent display on the back of dealing unflappably with the ceremonial duties of his pre-match guard of honour and on-pitch interview. As simply would not come naturally to him. A different story with his returning manager, who has patently regained the affections of the club’s support in being cheered to the rafters by all in taking his bows in a build-up in which the appearance of the three trophies won under Ange Postecoglou could serve as a reminder of the standards he must main … and which he set in his domestically faultless first spell.

Alas for the spell of the contest in which Forrest had active involvement – and not because this was so, it should be stressed – Celtic were ragged. Bilbao looked slicker and sharper in holding a 2-1 lead then, sumptuous strikes from Unai Gomez and Iker Munian – in the third and 37th respectively – as they capitalised on Celtic losing the ball in dangerous areas, the latter only seconds after Reo Hatate had weaved into the visitors’ box and curled a precision effort into the far corner.

Celtic’s Alexandro Bernabei celebrates scoring to make it 2-2 with Matt O'Riley during the James Forrest Testimonial match against Athletic Club BIlbao.

This Celtic XI was two-third first choicers, yet the returning Cameron Carter-Vickers seemed all that stood between the defence and disintegration at times. Recent arrival Kwon Hyeok-kyu so often lost possession and his bearings, it was like watching a quarterback being constantly sacked.

Yet shortly after Liel Abada replaced Forrest – to join a collection of largely back-up players – Celtic suddenly found their rhythm. Their 66th-minute equaliser was the product of the ball being shuttled along as if on the most efficient production line with Alexandro Bernbei both architect and finisher. It was blink-of-an-eye stuff as he slipped the ball to Matt O’Riley, who in turn fed David Turnbull, as the Argentinian timed his run exquisitely to break the defensive line and collect and pass he hammered past Unai Simon. Three minutes later Celtic Park was rocking after Turnbull – a game-changer along with Odin Thiago Holm and O’Riley, as Rodgers interestingly noted afterwards – smashed in a cross from the right delivered by Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Forrest’s name rang round the stadium at the close, and earlier when it was announced across the tannoy that a standard convention on these occasions had been followed with the winger declared the man of the match. He wasn’t that, of course, but has been a man for all manner of ages he has performed with aplomb across in a stellar career.

Celtic show two sides on James Forrest's big day: the sacked quarter-back, trio who shone, absent Green Brigade