Mikael Lustig still has much to offer Celtic says James Forrest

Celtic's James Forrest (L) and Mikael Lustig. Pic: SNS/Alan Harvey

A hysteria has developed among the club’s support over the need to sign a right-back to replace the 32-year-old Swede.

Their demands were in some ways satisfied by the loan deal struck for Borussia Dortmund full-back Jeremy Toljan on the closing day of the January transfer window. Coupled with Brendan Rodgers’ elliptical, at best, pronouncements on whether the club will trigger the one-year option that would keep Lustig at the club for an eighth season, the 73-times capped international’s time at Celtic would appear to be drawing to a close.

That is not how Forrest sees the situation ahead of Celtic’s trip north to face St Johnstone this afternoon, which will return the Scotland international to McDiarmid Park where he plundered four goals on his last visit.

Such scoring feats are not the lot of Lustig but it isn’t lost on the Celtic winger that the experienced campaigner has provided four assists in the club’s last two games. With 14 honours, the Swede is the most decorated Celtic player hailing from outside of the UK and Ireland. The quality of his service seems to be lost on a support who have decided he is firmly over the hill and have turned on him.

While Lustig has certainly slowed, it might be no coincidence he has demonstrated a sharpness since the recent three-week winter break that followed a summer when he had little respite thanks to his exertions at the World Cup finals.

Forrest believes the 32-year-old Lustig has lost none of his application or appetite and that he exerts a crucial influence off the field as well as on it.

“He is a top professional and has been a great player at international level too,” the 27-year-old said. “I think he is still as fit as he has been and he has been contributing the assists.

“His confidence is high just now and I think the clean sheets over the last few weeks have helped.

“I don’t know what he is going to do at the end of the season but I hope he stays. Since he came in he has helped me. Defensively it’s great for me to know he is behind me. He gives us good cover on that right side and he can play centre-back too. Whatever winger plays out there, it’s good to know he is there to help.’

“Mika is a strong character. I don’t think he will be too bothered by any criticism, he will just keep fighting and wanting to play. He is still doing it at international level with Sweden and he still feels good.

“He will keep fighting to stay at a big club like Celtic and all the boys want him to stay too.

“It will be up to him and the club but he is big in the changing room as well as on the park.

“He is a big character and we all want him to stay. Broony [Scott Brown] and Mika are the two biggest characters in the changing room and on the park they both help young boys. The same at training. I think they are really important to the team.”