James is taking his recovery one step at a time – and a winner in the Old Firmmatch would help!
James Forrest is back, and eyeing a future he hopes includes playing in the Euros, a cameo turn in the Old Firm derby and the continued presence of Scott Brown.
After months watching in frustration during rehab from an ankle injury, the 29-yearold winger returned in the Hoops’ draw at Tannadice last weekend.
And while he is not enough of an optimist to believe a dozen minutes against Dundee United will earn him a place in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad, to be announced on Tuesday, he argues it is still a monster step forward in terms of his ambitions.
“I watched us tie up qualification on my TV and, as much I wished I was with the boys, I was absolutely delighted for them,” he said.
“The Play-off Final was nerve-racking, what with Serbia scoring in the last minute.
“There was big pressure on the boys in the two penalty shoot-outs, and they handled it so well for win us a place in the Euros. It was some achievement.
“Now the Finals are in sight, I think the whole country will be buzzing for the summer and, as a player, I certainly am. Absolutely.”
If this month’s World Cup qualifiers (against Austria, Israel and Faroe Islands) will come too soon for Forrest, continued contact with the national coach has reassured him that he is viewed as a key figure for the big event.
“I know I played my part in us getting there with the five goals in the Nations League ties against Albania and Israel in 2018,” he said.
“But it has been a long campaign one way or another, and those games seem like they really were ages ago.
“So when I missed the October and November camps, it was good Steve Clarke took the time to time to speak to me.
“Sometimes when you are injured, you can feel like you are not a part of things. But that contact with the manager made me feel better.”
Now in regular training with Celtic for the first time since he picked up his injury last September, he has no need of such reassurance.
“Before I got injured I felt in the best shape ever,” he said.
“From the very start of the process, it was in my head that I didn’t want to come back and just go through the motions.
“I wanted to get back to the very high fitness levels I was at before, so I can produce for Celtic and Scotland again.
“At times, the effort to get there has probably made me more frustrated.
“But with the rehab I have done, I am getting close to hitting those numbers and, over time, I will hopefully reach them.
“I have only played 10-15 minutes, so starting against Rangers (a week today) would maybe be a tough ask.
“But I’d 100% take coming off the bench to score the winner!”
Forrest accepts that Rangers’ success in wresting the title away from their rivals will be the catalyst for changes at Celtic.
He hopes, though, any transition will not include the departure of skipper Scott Brown, linked in the past few days with a move to Aberdeen to become player/assistant coach to Stephen Glass.
“I think everybody involved at the club – players, staff, and so on – would want Broony to stay,” said Forrest.
“With everything he has achieved here, he is such a big part of Celtic.
“On and off the park, he has been unbelievable.
“We were talking about numbers there, and if you look at his, you will see they are right up there with the very fittest players, and he never misses training.
“So I can see him playing here for another year and then it is about how he feels with his body.
“100%, the way he is playing just now, he is good for another year.
“On a personal level too, it would feel really strange if he wasn’t here.
“Scott is the only player who has been here since the very start when I first came into the squad (in 2010), and he has been a big part in my career and a real help to me.
“So while I could definitely see him going on to be a coach and a manager – as he has always been a coach on the pitch anyway – it is something I don’t want to happen.
“Not so soon.”