The Past, The Present And The Future…

James Forrest was delighted to sign a new deal that will see him remain at Celtic until at least 2022, having already been at the club for nearly 20 years now

- Paul Cuddihy

WHEN James Forrest put pen to paper on a new four-year deal last week, it ensured he would remain at Celtic until at least the summer of 2022.

As a player, he’s always looking forward and is relishing the prospect of further success to add to the many medals he’s already acquired.

Yet, the moment also allowed him to reflect on his football journey to date, which has already seen him spend nearly 20 years with the club, having first joined the Youth Academy at the age of nine.

That journey to first-team regular with over 300 appearances to date, and 14 winner’s medals, has been a long and hard one, but he is one of the current crop of Celts who provide the perfect example for the youngsters currently coming through the ranks of what can be achieved through a combination of ability, hard work and a little luck along the way.

Forrest, naturally, is delighted to have settled his long-term future. Celtic is all he has known in his professional life, and it’s all he wants to continue to know. Trying to remember that nine-year-old who took his first tentative steps in the Celtic Youth Academy all those years ago reminds him of how far he’s come.

“You don’t want to take anything for granted,” Forrest told the Celtic View in an exclusive interview. “You come into the Youth Academy and it’s hard work all the way through.

“And even from when I made my first-team debut until now, there are so many players who have been and gone, so you can’t take it for granted. I just have to make sure I keep working hard to keep playing.

“From the first moment that I knew Celtic wanted to extend my deal, I knew this was what I wanted to do and there’s no other place for me.