Brilliant James Forrest stat showcases Celtic centurions Paradise longevity

By Lewis Laird

October 17, 2022

On Saturday, Celtic winger James Forrest became the 30th Hoops player to score 100 goals for the club during the 6-1 win over Hibernian.

The 31-year-old was handed a surprise opportunity in Ange Postecoglou’s starting 11 against the Easter Road side as the Bhoys looked to stretch their lead at the top.

And the long-serving Celtic man didn’t disappoint, scoring a hat trick, which took his goal tally at Parkhead to 100.

After coming through the club’s academy and impressing throughout the youth sides, Forrest was handed his debut as an 18-year-old, coming on as a late substitute against Motherwell.

Not only did the teenager make his first appearance in the Hoops, though. He also scored his first of 100 strikes off the bench during the 4-0 win in 2010.

As they say, the rest was history, and Forrest went on to become a crucial figure at Celtic Park whilst playing under managers such as Neil Lennon, Ronny Deila and Brendan Rodgers.

Alongside the likes of Callum McGregor, and former captain Scott Brown, the winger has contributed to one of the most successful periods in the club’s modern history.

Of course, now Forrest is seen as an experienced figure within the dressing room at Parkhead, with many new faces joining the club over the last 18 months.

And that experience and leadership is likely to be valuable, with Ange Postecoglou building a relatively young squad during his spell so far at Celtic.

One incredible statistic, produced over the weekend by the Twitter account @TriviaTim, has showcased just how long Forrest has been scoring for his boyhood heroes.

At 18, Forrest was already off the mark, scoring goals at Paradise; for many of the wide man’s Celtic teammates, though, they were still to enter their teenage years and were only really beginning their journey into football.

The social media post produced the ages of 11 members of Ange Postecoglou’s squad on the date that Forrest scored his first goal in the green and white.

At the age of 10, players such as Anthony Ralston would have been witnessing a new Celtic idol, whilst the likes of Matt O’Riley, Liel Abada and Sead Haksabanovic hadn’t even reached that age on the 1st of May 2010.

Centurion achieves unlikely modern-day feat as Forrest continues to produce for Celtic.

In this modern age of football, it is extremely unlikely that you will see many players who stay loyal to one club right through their career.

However, James Forrest has produced that feat, kick-starting his days at Celtic as a teenager and finds himself still turning out for the club in his 30s.

The winger has raised many debates over the years. But there is no doubt that he provided some fantastic moments for the Bhoys.

Last weekend, the attacker was finally able to join the Hoops 100 club, and he did so in style, scoring a hat trick in an emphatic victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

After signing a new three-year deal towards the back end of last campaign, there was once again questions raised about his involvement going forward.

However, what Saturday’s performance has shown is that he is ready to continue contributing to the club, as he has done so brilliantly over the past 12 years.

In other news, Celtic star talks up the importance of matching major feat achieved last season.