Forrest hopes to make it on Clarke’s list for Euro 2020

JAMES Forrest has stressed he is in peak condition and eager to continue playing this summer as he prepares for his final game before Scotland manager Steven Clarke selects his provisional squad for Euro 2020.

The Celtic winger spent over five months on the sidelines this season after undergoing ankle surgery and missed the national team’s play-off matches against Israel and Serbia last year.

However, the 35-times capped 29-year-old has performed well at club level since returning to action back in March and was superb in the 4-0 win over St Johnstone on Wednesday night.

Clarke will name his 26man squad on Wednesday and Forrest is hopeful he has done enough to be included in the first major international tournament of his career.

“I’m feeling good,” he said. “The last couple of months have been good for me to get back into the routine of training. I’ve been building up my fitness in the games and been buzzing to be back. I’ve been loving being out there with the boys playing again.

“I haven’t talked with Steve Clarke recently because I’ve only really been focusing on Celtic and getting back playing. But I spoke to him a couple of camps earlier. He obviously has so many boys to choose from but I just want to stay fit and be part of it.

“Scotland haven’t been at a tournament for so long that everyone wants to be part of it. Let’s hope I can be. I’m feeling good again and don’t really want the season to end. But hopefully that’ll help me next season too when some boys may want a break and I’ll be raring to go.”

Meanwhile, Scott Brown admits that he’d love a crack at the Euros with Scotland this summer – but insisted that he has no regrets over his decision to retire from international duty back in February 2018.

The 35-year-old told Sky Sports: “I’d love to still be there but I’ll be 36 by the time the Euros come.

“The lads have done fantastically well to get there and I don’t think I would still be playing for Celtic if I was playing for them as well.

“I think that would have had a big impact on my career and on my body. I think I stepped away at the right time.”