‘Veteran Forrest takes games by the scruff of the neck and can make things happen’
Lubo Moravcik is certain that Celtic will win the title – and that James Forrest will have a major role to play.
Moravcik was a gifted footballer who loved to entertain.
He joined the Parkhead club at the age of 33 in 1998, and gave the Hoops four years of excellent service.
When he signed, questions were raised about his age but he proved the critics wrong.
Moravcik keeps a close eye on events at Celtic and now sees Forrest back in the fold.
The winger will be 33 in the summer and has only had a few appearances here and there under Brendan Rodgers this season.
But he came off the bench last weekend to inspire Celtic to victory against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
He scored a cracking goal
Age should not be a barrier to playing football – James still has so much to offer
against the Dons and Moravcik expects Forrest to play this afternoon against Dundee.
Moravcik told The Sunday Post: “James is now at the veteran stage of his career but he has so much left to offer.
“Physically, he looks in excellent shape. Mentally, he will be as driven as any other player to bring success to Celtic this season.
“He has been part of the first team squad for almost 15 years and is one of the most decorated players in the history of Celtic Football Club.
“That type of experience will be vital in the next five weeks as the league race enters the final stages and the Scottish Cup Final awaits.
“I’ve no doubt that Brendan will see James as being a crucial part of his plans.
“He might not start every game or, if he does, then it might just be for an hour. Either way, he will make something positive happen, that’s for sure.
“You only need to look at his impact last weekend against Aberdeen. He lifted his teammates and the Celtic support.
“He was focused and direct. Aberdeen couldn’t handle him. He scored a great goal and it was good to see such an effort from outside of the penalty box.
“Overall, I’ve a feeling he’ll have a big part to play in the coming weeks. I definitely want that to
be the case as I want to see players of a certain age still being involved and leading the way.
“Age should never be a barrier to playing football.
“James has so much left to offer and we will see that in the next run of games.
“His composure on the park will be vital. With the title race being close, this will be a stressful period. James will handle it and help lead the way.
“This is a time when you need your big players to really take it all by the scruff of the neck and make it happen.
“Joe Hart, Callum McGregor, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Greg Taylor, Kyogo and James will be the leading group for the manager.
“Brendan will lean on the players heavily to guide the younger players through the next few weeks and I’m confident it will be a successful end.”
Moravcik played under Jozef Venglos, John Barnes, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Martin O’Neill.
Venglos was his mentor and brought him to Celtic for just £300,000.
His period under O’Neill was his most successful.
He helped the club to a treble in 2001 and retained the league title the following season.
Moravcik smiled and reflected: “Yes, my time in Scotland was very special.
“I go back to Glasgow two or three times a year and the supporters make me feel so welcome and it’s great to be in their company and share stories.
“I’m here this week and I can feel all the emotions as they are desperate for Celtic to beat Rangers and make it three-in-a-row.
“In terms of winning the title, I’m exactly the same as them. I really want Brendan and the players to succeed.
“Winning silverware for Celtic is so special. To make hundreds of thousands of supporters happy all around the world is just incredible.
“In my time, we had some sensational players and we all know the impact Henrik Larsson had on the club.
“We also had Paul Lambert, Stan Petrov, Bobo Balde, Alan Thompson, Didier Agathe, Johan Mjallby, Chris Sutton and John Hartson. We had winners all over the pitch. We won most of our games. If we lost, teams had to play very, very well to beat us.
“When it is so close to the end of the season, you just need to stay focused and take it one game at a time.
“That’s why nobody inside Celtic Park will be thinking about anything else other than trying to beat Dundee on Sunday.
“Dens Park is never an easy venue to go to. Dundee got a very good result against Rangers recently with that 0-0 draw.
“So, we know they are a capable team and will not be overawed. They have lots to play for as they push for a place in Europe.
“But when it comes down to it, Celtic must do what’s required to get the three points.
“They have a three-point cushion over Rangers at the moment and they need to keep it that way.
“Overall, Sunday is a massive day and we will see how Rangers get on when they play at St Mirren.
“That is not a guaranteed win for them and every fixture in the next few weeks will throw up its own obstacles.
“The best team will find a way over them to become the champions.
“I’m confident that it will turn out to be Celtic.”