Athletic Club captain Iker Muniain is relishing the opportunity to play at Celtic Park in front of Celtic supporters tonight for James Forrest’s testimonial match.
The La Liga side are in Glasgow to face the challenge of Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys and it’s set to be a special night for all as Forrest’s contributions to the club are recognised.
Muniain, who has also served his own club with distinction for well over a decade, is keenly aware of Forrest and what he means to Celtic. Tonight, he and his squad can’t wait to be involved.
He said [The Herald]: “Athletic Club and Celtic are both historic clubs with great stadiums and great fanbases. When you watch Athletic or Celtic, you are breathing football. Here in Bilbao, Celtic is a team that is quite loved by the people.
“I know of James Forrest and I know that he is an idol for Celtic fans. For us, it’s an honour to play at Celtic Park in front of the Celtic fans. I think staying at Celtic for such a long time has a lot of merit. To stay at one club at such a high level for so many years – I hope that a lot more players will have great careers staying at one club for such a long time.”
The Bilbao outfit have been sharing some good information and media on Celtic to their fans via official outlets over the past few days and have sought to have a friendly relationship with the Bhoys for years. There’s a definite mutual respect for the tradition and history of both clubs.
From a purely footballing perspective, Muniain’s outfit are going through their pre-season preparations too and it will be a well-contested 90 minutes. Brendan Rodgers has already confirmed he intends to field two elevens across the piece, with a full rotation expected at half-time.
With ticket sales picking up over the last few days, too, it could be a special summer evening at Paradise and an entertaining way to warm up to the Scottish Premiership kick-off this coming weekend.
In other news, James Forrest addresses his Celtic future after just 5 starts last season.
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