FORREST'S RUNNING SHOW

Veteran Bhoy may have won Hampden spot after energy-packed display

- 

AN interesting exchange between Brendan Rodgers and a reporter at Pittodrie last week saw the Celtic boss take slight exception when it was suggested he surely had to give James Forrest a start against St Mirren on Saturday.

Rodgers asked why and the reporter joked he was a bit sentimental. “Well, I'm not,” the Northern Irishman retorted.

The Hoops manager has never done sentiment during his two spells at the club.

Rodgers picks the team he believes is best for the job and it doesn’t matter if it’s a club legend or a teenage ace.

Forrest didn’t make his line-up for kick-off in the 1-1 draw with Saints but he might do for Hampden this weekend in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen... and there will be nothing sentimental about it.

It was a bit of fun on Saturday with the 33-year-old winger finally getting his goal to make it 16 scoring seasons in succession with the Hoops in fairytale fashion.

But it was so much more than that. Forrest changed the tone of the game. Until he came on, Celtic were struggling to break down a brilliant Buddies who only just came up short of qualifying for Europe for the second year on the spin — as a Dundee United win over the Dons ensured the Paisley side remained in sixth place.

Jonah Ayunga’s shock opener on 51 minutes for the Buddies looked set to dampen Celtic’s Parkhead trophy party.

But Forrest has always been a game changer, with his energy and drive providing the Hoops with the cutting edge they had lacked for nearly an hour.