FORSTER INSISTS HE WILL ALWAYS BE A GLASGOW BHOY AT HEART
SAYS FRASER FORSTER
GLASGOW will always hold a special place in Fraser Forster’s affections. When he returns to the city wearing the Three Lions of England this weekend, his mind will drift back to how Celtic made it all possible.
The 29-year-old’s four years at Parkhead, between 2010 and 2014, form the foundation stone of his career.
They delivered international recognition and the riches that accompanied a £10million transfer to Southampton. Whatever else the goalkeeper may go on to achieve, they won’t be forgotten.
‘For me, I can’t express how much I loved my time at Celtic,’ reflected Forster. ‘The people I met, the people I got to work with and the journey we went on together.
‘I loved every minute of being at that club. The fans are amazing and it is just a very special place. When I look back at the start of my time in Glasgow, it was really only my second full season as a footballer. I had a year at Norwich before I went to Celtic.
‘From the first minute I walked through the door to where the club was when I left, we just went on such a big journey. As a group we all moved forward together and had some great nights in the Champions League. It is a place I will always want to go back to.’
Three years on, Forster will do so as part of an England squad seeking to maintain unbeaten progress towards World Cup qualification.
Patriotic pride demands a victory, but kinship will also play a part in this visit. The chance to meet up with old friends is one Forster will grasp.
Gordon Strachan could well field six Celtic players in his Scotland side. Four of them — Craig Gordon, Scott Brown, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths — shared some time with Forster at Parkhead.
‘I know quite a lot of the lads and it’ll be a bit strange for me as it’s probably the first time I have faced most of them since leaving Celtic,’ said Forster, speaking at England’s training camp at St George’s Park.
‘It’ll be a fantastic game and a great night. I still speak to the lads quite a bit. Scott and Jamesie, in particular. It’ll be great to see them.
‘You look at Celtic this season and it has been fantastic. Brendan Rodgers has gone in there and they have really moved forward as a team and with the style of football that they are playing.
‘They won the Treble and finished unbeaten domestically. It is incredible and it’s quite right there will be a big chunk of Celtic players in that Scotland team.’
Gordon only crossed over with Forster for a brief period in Glasgow. Yet the Englishman is full of admiration for the man who has successfully replaced him as Celtic’s first-choice goalkeeper.
He knows how close Gordon came to calling time on his career after a knee injury sidelined him for two years. But Forster feels he found the perfect man to restore him in Parkhead goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods.
‘It’s been fantastic for Craig,’ added Forster. ‘We only had a few weeks together at the time, but I knew the type of keeper he was before the injuries. He still had it. It was just a case of getting up to speed. That’s about finding what training was best for him.
‘You look at the transfer fee he went for a few years ago to Sunderland. That was a while ago and a lot of money at the time, which shows you he’s a great goalkeeper.
‘Craig did well in England and he’s got a great habit of keeping the ball out of the net.
‘He’s been working with Stevie Woods and you have no doubts that, whatever goalkeeper is in at Celtic, he will get the best out of them and take them to the top of their game.
‘Craig has been superb. He has worked so hard and very few players would be able to come back from that length of injury and that time with so few games.
‘It tells you the character and mental strength that he has.’
While Forster is effusive about Glasgow, the specific environment of Hampden doesn’t hold his happiest recollections.
Celtic endured a pretty fraught relationship with the national stadium during his time, suffering some painful defeats in semi-finals and finals.
‘We had a few tough games there,’ he admitted. ‘We won some and we lost some. For me, it’s a fantastic stadium.
‘It was a strange one for us at Celtic at that time as we were playing well. It was just the way it went in certain games. It’s hard to put your finger on why, so I’ve got mixed memories of Hampden.
‘But I won’t have any fear of going there. It’s one of those stadiums you want to be playing at because it means you must have done well to get there.
‘It will be my first time there for a Scotland-England game and I’ve no doubt it will be a great atmosphere.
‘It will be another special night, although for different reasons this time.’
Forster is likely to play a back-up role to Joe Hart. Capped six times, the fire of ambition lit at Celtic is still burning bright within him.
‘I have a lot left to achieve,’ he insisted. ‘Moving forward, I still want to be England’s No 1 and own that shirt.
‘At the minute, all I can do is play as well as I can for Southampton and push Joe Hart for his place. Also, having had a taste of Champions League football at Celtic, I’d love to experience that again one day.’