Celtic veteran rates summer signings and explains why own future is kept to here and now
Celtic buoyant ahead of clash with Falkirk
A member of the Celtic first team since 2009 and winner of 24 major honours with the club, James Forrest is well-qualified to assess how good the 2024/25 squad is.
Celtic are in a strong place right now under Brendan Rodgers. They have won every competitive game in this campaign so far, including an Old Firm clash and Wednesday's 5-1 dismantling of Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. They sit second in the standings for Europe's revamped premier tournament after the first round of fixtures and expectation are rising that they could reach the play-off round at least.
Now 33, Forrest is not the automatic Celtic starter he once was. Yet the veteran winger still contributed against the Slovaks, coming on as a substitute and setting up Adam Idah for the team's fifth goal. After a heady night in the east end of Glasgow, Celtic Park is likely to feel a little more serene on Sunday afternoon. Brendan Rodgers' men are red-hot favourites to take care of Championship pace-setters Falkirk and book their place in the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.
Manager Rodgers is likely to shuffle his pack. Celtic, of course, have an army of quality players to call upon following a strong transfer window. Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, Auston Trusty, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah have all come in to bolster the ranks. "I think the manager and the club's recruited well," said Forrest. "The manager's always talking about you wanting quality over quantity. He's definitely got that.
"You've seen in the players he's signed already making their impact. I think that's good for the players that are here and working hard here. I think it's always good to get players to come in and freshen it up. That's what's happened so far. I think it's just important that we all just keep working hard and keep looking forward."
The emergence of Nicolas Kuhn, allied to the energetic displays of Daizen Maeda, means that Forrest is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to starting regularly. Both he and fellow wide player Luis Palma need to be patient but Forrest welcomes the competition. "I think that's good," he said. "I think especially attackers at Celtic, it’s been like that since I came through at 18. I think that's always good because you can never get complacent.
"We've obviously always got loads of games so you’ve always got loads of forward players in the squad. I think it's good because it gives the manager options and obviously it keeps you on your toes. If you're not performing, if you don't do it, there's always someone there to come in and take your place. I think that's what keeps you going."
Forrest has very little to prove at Celtic. Both Rodgers and the supporters know his value. His contract expires at the end of the season but uncertainty in the latter stages of his career does not worry the Scotland internationalist. It is all about the here and now.
"The end of last season was really good," he said. "It was a few months when I really enjoyed my football. I've been really enjoying the start of this season as well. Obviously I'm getting older but I really enjoy it. I feel as if I've still got a part to play and I still love it. Being at Celtic is such a massive club, I've been here my whole career. I'd love to stay on but that will maybe come into discussion at some point. I’m not sure when."
Hanging up the boots has not crossed his mind. Forrest has been on the go professionally for more than 15 years but his appetite for football remains. A voracious watcher of the sport when he has downtime, he does not see himself working outside of it.
"I got a good run at the end of last season and I've started this season feeling good as well," said Forrest. I've not even thought about stopping to be honest. I'm just really enjoying playing just now.
"Maybe January or February at the start of the year I had a little think about it [the future]. But honestly I've not really thought much about it since. I've been in football my full life and it's always what I wanted to do.
"I think I'd definitely like to be involved in the game in some way. Maybe at some stage this season or next season, I don't know when, I'll think about it more. I would definitely like to stay in football. You get some players that you've played with that maybe don't watch a lot of games.
"Sometimes it can be a job for them but I love watching football and I love being in football. So I'd definitely like to still be involved somehow.
"To be honest, I love watching football. Even when we're not playing, if we're playing a Sunday I'll always be watching games on Saturday. I think a lot of the boys are like that as well but definitely you're always watching if there are Champions League or English games on or Scottish games. Then as well, maybe players you've played with or played against and you're looking out for them as well. It's quite interesting."
Forrest does not rule out becoming a coach one day - "the next year or two, I might start thinking about doing that [his badges]" - and he is preparing himself by watching games in a different way now. "It's good seeing what other teams and other managers do," he added. "I think it's the same when I've always enjoyed having different managers as well because they have their different spin and different tactics and different ways of playing. I think that's always good as a player, that you can learn off different systems."
For now, though, it's about the present for Forrest and Co. Celtic's next aim is to be in the last four of the Premier Sports Cup. Even with Falkirk's tremendous form in the lower leagues, it will take an extraordinary effort to stop them.
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