KAYAL ALWAYS KNEW FORREST WOULD BECOME AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE

Forrest was always going to become a ‘Scotland great’ in the admiring eyes of Kayal

Even back then you could see he was a special talent. His attitude was the best

THERE are so many fine young prospects who just don’t make it, such a plethora of elite-level kids destined to labour under the burden of unfulfilled potential, that football folk are reluctant to get too hyped about even the most exciting rookie.

Speak to anyone who worked with James Forrest back in his breakthrough spell at Celtic Park, however, and they will all tell you the same thing.

There was something different about the wee winger with the oddly hunched running style. A quality that is now obvious to the entire nation.

None who played alongside a young Forrest seek credit for great foresight in predicting his success. To one and all, his eventual ascension was simply inevitable.

‘I knew he would be one of the great players for Scotland,’ said Beram Kayal, the Israeli midfielder left to rue his old team-mate’s sudden burst of goalscoring form.

‘He was always a special talent and even back then you could see it. Unfortunately for us, James was on fire.’

Kayal, who opened the scoring in Tuesday night’s dramatic showdown at Hampden, watched in a mix of anguish and admiration as Forrest’s hat-trick saw the Scots pip the visitors to first place in their Nations League group — a prize that brings the more tangible reward of a Euro 2020 play-off spot.

At 27, Forrest is in his physical prime, the growing pains and niggling injuries of past seasons now a distant memory.

He has gone from being a breakthrough star to a starter, to a fringe player/impact sub and now back to playing a key role in the Celtic attack.

If Scotland haven’t always been quick to recognise his brilliance, he is certainly going to be the first name on Alex McLeish’s team sheet for a while yet.

It’s amazing to think that, when Brendan Rodgers arrived at Celtic two-and-a-bit seasons ago, Forrest cut such a disaffected, disheartened figure that he seemed absolutely certain to leave his boyhood heroes.

Now, with five goals in two games for Scotland, he is arguably the most valuable player for both his club and his country. Again, among those there at the outset, his man-of-the-match performance in a definitive international contest almost feels like destiny.

‘In games like this, with so much at stake, normally the great players stand up — and James did that against us,’ declared Kayal.

‘When the challenge is bigger, the big players need to stand up and, for Scotland, James was there.

‘I have known him a long time, nine maybe ten years. He was just coming into the first team towards the end of my time at Celtic.

‘He is a great guy, a great player and even back then, when he was just beginning, you could see the quality he possessed.

‘I knew, 100 per cent, that he would become a top, top player. His attitude was always the best.

‘When I was there, he had a few injuries that kept him out but, under the manager at Celtic, he has been given a run of games. And over the last few seasons he has really shown what he’s capable of.

‘He’s now taken that onto the international stage and he will only get better. He is still learning, still maturing, but he is already a special player.

‘His confidence is high and the years and experience have made him a better player.’

Israel were certainly forewarned by Kayal, among others, about what to expect from the little fella in the famous No 7 jersey. But understanding the threat and cutting it off at source are two very different things. ‘Before the game, we knew how good he was — I had spoken to

the team about him too,’ revealed Kayal. ‘We spoke about his quality on the ball, the way he drives at a defence, his work rate off the ball. ‘We knew he’d scored two goals against Albania at the weekend, so we knew his confidence was high. ‘But he really showed his clinical side against us. They were great goals from a Scottish point of view. ‘We couldn’t get to him to stop him. We are disappointed to lose, but well done to James and to Scotland.’ If Kayal was graciousness personified in applauding his old team-mate, the guys currently fortunate enough to share a dressing room with Forrest have no need to test their diplomatic skills. Life is a blast when you’ve got someone like this making runs and tying defenders in knots. Just ask Ryan Christie, a key contributor to Forrest goals in Albania on Saturday and again at Hampden on Tuesday night. ‘He is huge,’ said Christie of his diminutive pal. ‘You can’t rely on it, but it is nice to have someone like that in your team, who can pop up on a night like Tuesday and score three goals. ‘He makes my job easier, that’s for sure. You just keep

giving him the ball and let him do his thing. Long may it continue because right now he is on fire.

‘Maybe in his younger years he was more like an out-and-out winger, a chalk-on-his-boots player.

‘But you can see now he can come inside so well and he picks up the ball in areas that are so hard to mark. You saw on Tuesday, that is where he gets his goals, almost from the middle of the box.

‘He has got this movement about him and he is still developing.’

If Forrest’s recent form has been spectacular, Christie hasn’t been far behind — for club or country.

In terms of sheer drama, in fact, the former Inverness Caley Thistle star might just pip his team-mate for shock value alone.

Less than a month ago, Christie wasn’t even a starter for Celtic. One dramatic half-time introduction at Murrayfield changed all that, his starring role in the Betfred Cup semi-final destruction of Hearts providing a springboard for the 23-year-old to launch himself into a new phase of his career.

With a new long-term contract just signed, it has been quite a turnaround, Christie admitting: ‘It has been a crazy month for me. But that is how football works these days. There are so many games that things can change so quickly.’

There are still lots of unpredictable variables. Known unknowns and unknown unknowns, if you like.

Which is what makes Forrest, a sure thing, safe bet and guaranteed hit in the eyes of everyone who ever worked with him, so rare. And so valuable.