How Celtic's turbulent campaign trumps calamitous Covid season as Hoops great makes frank confession
Hoops great has had to contend with a real mix of highs and lows throughout his 17 years as a first-team regular - but this season has been the biggest challenge
James Forrest concedes Celtic’s struggles this term have been even tougher than their calamitous Covid campaign - but he insists the current Hoops squad are united to make sure they will finish top of the pile when it matters most at the end of the campaign.
Club stalwart Forrest helped put an end of new head coach Wilfried Nancy’s nightmare start to his Parkhead tenure by netting in stoppage-time to secure a 3-1 Premiership victory over Aberdeen on Sunday.
The 34-year-old has picked up a record 26 winners’ medals across his 17-year association with Celtic, but the Scotland international has had to suffer his fair share of setbacks along the way
The failed 10-in-a-row bid during the curtailed 2020/21 season was a major low point, in particular, but Forrest believes this season has seen him enter into unchartered territory with the champions going through three different managers, suffering a League Cup Final defeat to St Mirren, and trailing league leaders Hearts by six points.
New boss Nancy endured a torrid start to his reign by losing his first four games in the dugout – the club’s worst run since 1978 – but the Frenchman was left breathing a sight of relief as late goals from Kieran Tierney and the ever-reliable Forrest halted the slide.
And Forrest is hoping Nancy finally has lift off, stating: “Obviously we don't want to get carried away. It's still so early in the season. It's still really early for the manager as well. But I think it just shows that we are together and I just look forward to Saturday now.
“It’s been difficult. I think I've been here for so long, I've had so much success, so many good moments. I'd say the kind of 10-in-a-row season but then obviously that was Covid and the fans weren't in so there was something different about that one. I'd say maybe nothing really kind of like the last couple of weeks.
“Obviously, we've had a couple of different managers and stuff as well, but I think that just shows that we all need to make sure we stay together and that's what we have done the last couple of weeks.
“Hopefully, we can just go game at a time, build back up the confidence and as you saw on Sunday, we could have scored six or seven goals but we kept going and we managed to get the win in the end. Hopefully we can kick on from here.”
Celtic must keep foot on peddle amid hectic festive period
Having returned to winning ways, Forrest is urging his Celtic team-mates to keep their foot down on the peddle with games coming in quick succession over the festive period.
He admits they are paying no attention to Hearts’ title charge to ensure they focus on their own affairs and kick start 2026 on a positive note under Nancy, who faces tricky trips to Livingston and Motherwell up next before the New Year Old Firm derby showdown with Rangers at Parkhead.
Forrest added: “Obviously being at Celtic, every game you go into it's always a massive game. There's always cup competitions, it's European ties, it's league games and I think it's always massive.
“I think the pressure from the fans, the press, the players and the manager, there's always pressure here. So obviously now you see that the league is tight up there but we have been there before when the league's tight and we just need to go about our business and just focus on ourselves and hopefully just keep picking up victories.”