'Grown men were in tears... that's what James Forrest means to this club,' says Celtic defender
Celtic defender Alistair Johnston has predicted that James Forrest will continue to set the standard for emerging talents at Lennoxtown after his historic goal spared the champions' blushes on trophy day.
Having climbed off the bench, the 33-year-old scored in the 94th minute against St Mirren to ensure he maintained the record of netting in each of his 16 seasons as a professional.
Now the club's most decorated player with 26 honours, he's played his way into contention to start the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen after a cameo role which will go down in Celtic folklore.
Team-mate Johnston feels Forrest — who still has another year to run on his contract — remains a shining example to all young players of the dedication that's required to carve out a successful career at the club.
'James is not here as a token player just because of the status he has,' said the Canadian. 'He still provides something to this team and gives us such a different profile on the wing.
'We have a lot of young players in that position who are direct but maybe lack consistency, which is what happens at that age at a big club.
'But James shows them how to last at a place like Celtic.
'It's about consistency and he takes the ball, protects it and makes the right decisions every time. That's why the gaffer trusts him to come in on big occasions when things are maybe not going our way.
'You think back towards the end of last season when that was the case. James was probably the first name on the team sheet at that point.
'He still has a lot to offer and hopefully he will go for 17 in a row next season.'
Forrest, who opened his professional account as a youngster against Motherwell in May 2010, had last scored at Kilmarnock in the same month a year ago.
Having waited until 60 seconds from the end of his 32nd appearance of this season to keep up the remarkable sequence, his goal was met by thunderous acclaim from home supporters.
'It's a fairytale for James,' added Johnston. 'Grown men were nearly in tears and that sums up how much James means to this club.
'I am really happy for him. It's a bummer that we only drew but to keep that streak going for 16 seasons is unbelievable.
'It shows how much he has taken care of himself for over a decade.
'James is a shy guy, but we got him out there and got him talking and lifting the trophy.'
Johnston provided the assist which allowed Forrest to net his first goal of the campaign.
Adamant that he didn't decide against shooting purely because it would deprive Forrest of the chance, he added: 'It could have been anyone standing there, I would still have passed the ball. I knew it was James and, yeah, we have been on him all week — you have to get one.
'We were telling him to be selfish and, even when he came on, I was telling him to hit shots.
'He took a couple on and you could tell he was feeling it.
'You could see in midweek against Aberdeen that he's had that little bit about him. He had his full-back on toast there.
'When Luke (McCowan) made the right decision and played the ball to me, it was always going to be a pass.
'I wanted to give him something to walk onto, but he still had a lot of work to do.
'He hit a sweet little two iron with some fade on it!
'He kept it low and out of the wind and it was amazing to see the net ripple.
'James kissing the badge and running into the corner was genius. It's a moment nobody will forget anytime soon.
'I have never seen an equaliser celebrated like that in my life. It's amazing for him and the club. He just continues to make history and break records.'
Having turned on the style last midweek at Pittodrie, Celtic were not at their best and were poised to fall to their fifth league defeat of the season until Forrest stepped up.
Although Brendan Rodgers' league champions are strong favourites to see off a struggling Aberdeen side to complete the Treble, Johnston admits their latest display has given them food for thought.
'It's a wee reminder, but we knew that anyway,' he said. 'Everyone in this league can give you a tough game, and they (St Mirren) played well. We will look back and figure out what we can do better.
'We were sluggish and forced a couple of things, but we know we can get back to the level.
'That will be really important because we expect a top game from Aberdeen in a Hampden final.
'They're not going to roll over just because we are going for a Treble.'
Forrest and skipper Callum McGregor have now collected half a century of trophies between them and will seek to add to that tally at Hampden.
Dismissing the notion that any professional could ever tire of winning, Johnston added: 'Look at James and Cal. They have won 50 trophies between them and are the two hungriest guys around.
'How can you, as a younger player with a lot less medals than them, ever say: 'Oh, it's just another one'.
'We want to win every piece of silverware available and we all have that desire and desperation to do it again on Saturday.
'We are in a position to do a domestic clean sweep so let's go and take that chance.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Go for it' - Tuchel wants England to 'play with smile'
Thomas Tuchel has encouraged his England team to play as they train - with smiles on their German was critical of the performance as England laboured to a 1-0 win over minnows Andorra in Saturday's World Cup Chelsea boss Tuchel says the players have trained very differently, however, so he has urged the Three Lions to play with freedom, take heed of instructions, and "just go for it".Tuchel began work as England head coach in January and Tuesday's friendly against Senegal in Nottingham will be his fourth game in charge."I see us train with a smile, but not play with a smile," Tuchel said."We need to improve, for sure. We need to improve in connections, in support, in interactions in the group."I feel we are too isolated on the pitch. We have not clicked yet."We have a lot of positives to take away in training and in the sessions I see a lot of it, and it will obviously take a little bit to translate it to the pitch."Tuchel added: "The best thing is to focus on the principles of the game, to give clear instructions to the players, [on] what we expect from them in their role."And then they forget about the shirt and how heavy it is. They [can be] free in the role and they know what to do, that they have people around with whom it is easy for them to connect. And then just go for it." Club World Cup gives Liverpool & Arsenal 'huge advantage' After Tuesday's game at Nottingham Forest's City Ground, nine members of Tuchel's squad are set to travel to the United States to play in the Club World and Manchester City are the only Premier League teams taking part and Tuchel said the tournament's expanded format will "have a huge impact and will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage next season to not be there"."I think it will be a very nice experience for the players who are there to play this [expanded] tournament for the first time, so I have mixed feelings about it," Tuchel said."I decided not to worry too much, because why should I? It is a given, and no-one knows what will be the outcome of it or the effect."We will deal with the effect when the effect comes and let's see."The Club World Cup means many players will have a reduced break between domestic could then be playing in another expanded tournament next summer, with the 2026 World Cup being held in the US, Canada and said: "There is not one player [with England] who says 'by the way, I would like to be on the bench and save myself for the Club World Cup'. They are hungry to play."The games are not the problem, it is just the amount of time that it occupies for the players, and they need a proper rest somewhere in this calendar, which they hardly get."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Bukayo Saka overcomes self-doubt to return ‘more balanced about football and life'
There were some upsides to the first serious layoff of Bukayo Saka's career that enabled him to return with 'a bit more of a balanced head about football and life'. More family time, more reading and more attention to a new puppy, Tucker the cockapoo, lifted the spirits during three months out with the torn hamstring that derailed his and Arsenal's season. But in the lowest moments, which included going under the surgeon's knife at 5am on Christmas Eve, the doubt that all elite sportspeople fear crept in. 'Looking back at it, I was happy with how I managed everything,' Saka says. 'The first two days were the toughest, that realisation that I've got what I've got and I need an operation. You start to think: 'Am I going to be the same?' as players have come back from this injury and they weren't the same. After two days the surgery was done and successful, and you just look forward. I was really positive and put in all the work I needed with my diet, in the gym, on the pitch, and the physios would say the same. I feel I've come back in a good place.' Saka's doubts were dispelled over the closing two months of a gruelling season, one that has yet to end for the 23-year-old as he prepares to make his first England appearance under Thomas Tuchel against Senegal on Tuesday. His Champions League performances against Real Madrid and Paris Saint‑Germain in particular brought reassurance at the highest level following several months on the sidelines. They also vindicated his decision to have surgery as soon as possible after tearing the hamstring against Crystal Palace on 21 December. Christmas 2024 was not the best. 'It was horrible,' Saka says. 'Normally you get more time to make a decision [about surgery] but it was Christmas and the surgeons want to be with their families so I decided on the spot that we were doing the surgery. The quicker you do it, the quicker you start the recovery. Then it was deciding what time and was I going to be there on Christmas Day? That was the last thing I wanted. 'So I had to do it at 5am or 6am on Christmas Eve. Credit to the surgeon – he got up early to do it. I was out of the hospital at about 3pm or 4pm and home. Christmas Day, I went to my cousin's house but I was in a big brace and had crutches. I had to get my presents brought to me. It doesn't sound the worst thing [but] when everyone got up to go to the dining room, it took me about 10 minutes to get there.' For the first time in more than five years as a fixed part of the Arsenal forward line, Saka was off what he describes as 'a conveyor belt of games, training games and training'. He says: 'I got to spend more time with my family and got to do more of the little things around the house that I wouldn't have even paid attention to when I was playing. On that note it was nice and I've come back with a bit more of a balanced head about football and life, and I'm trying to balance them better. It definitely helped me mentally.' Tucker the cockapoo arrived while Saka was rehabilitating from surgery. 'It was a bit tough at first because he's a puppy and I couldn't really get after him. But it was a good experience.' There was also more time for reading. One book in particular, Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, struck a chord. 'I read nonfiction,' Saka says. 'One of the books I was given by Carlos [Cuesta, Mikel Arteta's assistant coach] was called The Power of Now. A really good book. It's about not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future, just being in the moment and always asking yourself what's necessary right now. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'Sometimes I'd think: 'Oh, am I going to come back in the best shape?' Or, in the past: 'What could I have done to prevent injury?' But all that is not necessary. It's only going to bring bad energy, negativity to your body. One of the best things I took from the book is always ask yourself: what's necessary in this moment right now? And try to live that way.' It is a philosophy Saka intends to apply to Arsenal's attempt to win silverware next season. Watching Tottenham and Chelsea win European trophies last month hurt. 'Of course, naturally, because you want that to be you.' On Arsenal's campaign, Saka says: 'I was not happy with last season, how it went, how it ended. But the only thing I can do now is look forward and try to be the best version of myself and help my teammates be the same.'
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Nobody is safe from Thomas Tuchel's sharp tongue with England
Thomas Tuchel's reign as England manager will be defined by whether his hands are around the World Cup at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, but his time in charge is fast-becoming the era of brutal honesty. His team go into Tuesday's friendly against Senegal with three World Cup qualifying victories under Tuchel but, quite correctly, he has been far from happy with what he has seen. The German coach sounded concerned at what he saw during the embarrassing 1-0 win against Andorra. It is clear there will be no hiding place in this regime. Tuchel read the riot act to players at a team meeting on Sunday, taking a dim view of their body language and questioning whether they took facing the 173rd team in the Fifa rankings seriously. Tuchel is telling it how it is, even if it breaks the unwritten rule of management to stick up for players. Only a couple of years ago, Gareth Southgate was talking up Harry Kane's chances of playing until he is 40 like Cristiano Ronaldo, while Tuchel is more circumspect. 'Cristiano is always the exception to the rule,' said Tuchel. 'There are at the moment, no signs he [Kane] cannot do it at a high level. How long he can do it? I have not a crystal ball, let's see.' Interestingly, Tuchel says he needs to give thought about how older players are impacted by heat, which will be a factor at the World Cup. Tuchel has overseen 11 training sessions so far with his team and his frankness reflects the clock ticking towards next year's tournament. There is no time to start thinking about tournaments in the years after, or sugar-coating the current situation. He is seeing a team who are not playing with enjoyment. An initial assessment of Southgate's team at last year's Euros was they lacked 'identity', 'hunger' and failed to express themselves. The last exciting run of wins to get fans dreaming of a tournament triumph dates back to the World Cup in Qatar. 'We can be more fluid. We can be more exciting which for a long time I feel has been a bit of a problem,' said Tuchel. 'I feel a bit stuck, I feel like a serious [team]. I see us train with a smile but not play with a smile. 'What does it mean, the 'heavy shirt'? Do we expect too much? Don't we feel the freedom? Does Phil [Foden] feel free in his club, is he really free in his club to express himself? Not since many months. He struggles there. So maybe it's also a normal thing that it's a bit of up and down.' Southgate would consistently back his players throughout his time as manager, in every circumstance. Kane's position was questioned at the Euros by pundits but never his manager. Harry Maguire would get jeered by his own supporters and know public support was coming his way from his manager. Those players had a history with Southgate and were rewarded with his loyalty, while Tuchel is telling it how he sees it with fresh eyes. Why can't his players replicate their club form? Well, in the case of Cole Palmer, he points out that his form has not been great at Chelsea. Foden's poor form at Manchester City has dated back even further. 'That's the question that needs to be answered,' said Tuchel, when asked about players bringing their club form to England. 'It is a fair question. At the moment, I think that even Cole struggled lately at Chelsea to have an impact. 'Phil, unfortunately, struggled over many months now to have the impact that he can have. So, the question would always be, do we then invite them and create an atmosphere that he can still perform here? At the moment, we rely heavily on what we see in the clubs.' Tuchel is willing to try new players against Senegal and may give Dean Henderson minutes in goal, although he cannot afford a morale-sapping defeat at the City Ground either. Despite the criticism at the weekend, he says encouragement is also crucial to how his team develops over the next year ahead of the tournament in America, Canada and Mexico. He expects players to raise their game significantly when they play against high-level opposition, rather than low-ranked teams with six defenders stretched across their back line. In that respect, he insists there should be no inferiority complex when watching the thrilling attacking football in the Nations League finale this week. 'The level will increase immediately once we are in Munich at the stadium and playing against Portugal or Spain,' he said. 'We will rise to the occasion because of the occasion, because it is very difficult. This will come. It will bring out the very best in us. 'We shall not develop a complex because there is no need for it. Spain qualified for the final four with a very lucky win over the Netherlands. Everyone is beatable. We have what it takes to compete. We need to improve, for sure. We need to improve in connections, in support, in interactions in the group. I feel we are too isolated on the pitch. But we have not clicked yet.' Tuchel will be hoping it starts to click in Nottingham. Thomas Tuchel has claimed that the Club World Cup has already given Liverpool and Arsenal 'a huge advantage' in next season's Premier League title race. Chelsea, Tuchel's former club, and Manchester City will start their Club World Cup campaigns in the United States next week, with the final taking place on July 13 – just over a month before the new Premier League season starts. And Tuchel, who lifted the Club World Cup as Chelsea manager in its old format in 2022, believes that the demands of playing through the summer and having a short pre-season will take its toll on the title rivals of champions Liverpool and Arsenal. 'I think it [the Club World Cup] will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there,' said Tuchel. Chelsea have five players in Tuchel's squad and three of those – Cole Palmer, Reece James and Noni Madueke – started against Andorra last Saturday. City's sole England representative, Kyle Walker, will not go to the Club World Cup. Telegraph Sport reported last week that Chelsea are braced for the possibility that their squad may only have two weeks to prepare for the new Premier League season after returning from the Club World Cup. Chelsea plan to give their players a break of roughly three weeks at the point of exiting the tournament, which leaves a very small window to squeeze in a hybrid pre-season before the new season starts on August 15. Tuchel suggested that captain Harry Kane, who will go to the Club World Cup with Bayern Munich, will start for a second successive England game against Senegal on Tuesday night at the City Ground. Kane is one of nine players in Tuchel's current England squad who will go to this summer's Club World Cup and the head coach is unsure whether it will impact his preparations for next summer's World Cup. 'I think it will be a very nice experience for the players who are there to play this tournament for the first time, so it is mixed feelings about it,' said Tuchel. 'I decided not to worry too much because why should I? It is a given and no one knows what will be the outcome of it or the effect. 'We will deal with the effect when the effect comes and let's see. We have a lot of teams in the Champions League next season and European football, and let's see.' His 72nd goal for the Three Lions 🏴 Harry Kane 👏 @England 🎥 — ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 9, 2025 Tuchel insisted that none of his Club World Cup players have expressed a desire to miss the Andorra or Senegal games, despite some admitting they felt tired. He said: 'I have to tell you that I think every player, if you go there now and ask the players individually, I think you get 25 players who say 'I want to start' [against Senegal]. I think the clubs are concerned and I get that for the Club World Cup after a long season. I think some of the players feel tired and some of them feel the tiredness more after one or two weeks of holiday than they felt straight after the season. So sometimes it is easier to say in a rhythm. 'Harry [Kane] said he felt that two weeks [holiday] helped him more than one week. He said coming after one week would have been much harder for him than coming after two weeks, gave him almost a freshness. He said 'I enjoyed so much to be back and put my boots back on' while there were many players who came back after one week and I had the response and feeling that they said 'we were just getting into holiday mode and now we put the boots back on'. But they all want to play. 'There is not one player who says 'by the way, I would like to be on the bench and save myself for the Club World Cup' so they are hungry to play. The games are not the problem, it is just the amount of time that it occupies from the players and they need a proper rest somewhere in this calendar, which they hardly get.' Tuchel suggested that Kane will start against Senegal when asked who will captain the team on Tuesday night. He replied: 'It's very likely that it is the same captain.' Kane will be 32 at next summer's World Cup and Tuchel also hinted that he may not be able to start every game in the United States, where temperatures are expected to be at least 28 degrees. 'There is no concern about Harry,' he said. 'There is no concern, but we need to give it thought – like how much age influences how you react to the heat.' Bukayo Saka will hope that Tuchel's assessment that Arsenal will be one of the clubs that can take advantage of the Club World Cup is right. The winger admitted it had been hard to see London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea finish the season with trophies after his team had missed out.
