STATS A-MORE

James Forrest on upping his impressive numbers this season so far, and adapting to different systems on the pitch

- Joe Donnelly

FANS remember goals. Stevie’s Lisbon winner. Henrik’s derby chip. Tony Watt’s Barca-beater. Tom Rogic’s lightning-evoking, Invincibles’ Treble clincher.

In his 10 years in the Celtic senior side, James Forrest has bagged a few belters of his own – Shahkter Karagandy at home in 2013, Rosenborg away in 2017, Lazio away in 2019, to name but a few – and while always keen to help out the team however he can, the 28-year-old knows goals and assists make stand-out performances harder to forget.

At times he makes it look easy, and, ahead of tonight’s Scottish Premiership encounter, the midfielder has netted 16 times and has assisted for his team-mates on 18 occasions so far this campaign. Should he score and assist three more times, he’ll set a personal record for the season.

Forrest missed the Scottish champions’ first two games of the new decade with a muscle injury, but returned to action with an assist against Ross County at Paradise, and a goal and an assist against St Johnstone in Perth last week before scoring the last goal in the 4-1 win over Hamilton Accies at the weekend.

“I was delighted to get the goal against St Johnstone, and the assist for Olly,” said Forrest in an exclusive interview with the Celtic View. “I created a few other chances as well at McDiarmid Park, and assisted the game before against Ross County, as well as the strike against Hamilton Accies, so I’m pleased to be getting myself into these positions during games.

“Maybe that was the only disappointment against St Johnstone, that we scored three in such a short space of time, and the scoreline stayed the same after that.