It’s the business end of the season, so it isn’t a surprise that James Forrest’s name is starting to pop up on a more frequent basis.
Forrest doesn’t start many matches; he had only started twice in the league before the weekend, but Martin O’Neill could no longer ignore him for Celtic’s opening post-split fixtures.
But this upsurge in form from Forrest has resulted in calls that he should make Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for this summer’s World Cup, and Michael Stewart is certainly on that bandwagon.
“I do think James Forrest, like what he is doing with Celtic, why would you not potentially look at having that option for Scotland, because there is no point chucking on like-for-like at times,” said Stewart.
“James Forrest is a bit different, and he has a bit of quality.”
Give us your immediate reaction to James Forrest signing a new contract
Michael Stewart and Paul Hartley back James Forrest to go to the World Cup with Scotland
There is one thing you can guarantee with Forrest: he knows how to produce under pressure, as he did during Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren at Hampden.
Then you factor in how Scotland are threadbare when it comes to wide players or wingers, with John McGinn being deployed in such a role.
There is former Celtic youth star Ben Gannon-Doak wowing fans, but he has just returned from a long-term injury, and there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders to be the man out wide.
Plus, Scotland are stacked in the middle of the park, and Stewart rightfully pointed out on Premier Sports, you get this situation where too many ‘like-for-like’ changes are being made.
That’s why Stewart, alongside Paul Hartley, are correct to raise the noise around Forrest earning a possible World Cup chance this summer.
Paul Hartley: “He has been a great player, hasn’t he? One club man. He has shown that season in season out, and he doesn’t start every week.
“But when you need him, he can be that difference. You saw it in the Scottish Cup semi-final; he makes the difference when he comes on, so he is somebody you can rely on. He can create a goal. Score a goal. And you need those types of players in your squad. He has the know-how to win championships.”
Stewart: “I wanted to ask Paul this because I saw Martin O’Neill commenting on it. He was talking about James Forrest as an outside bet for going to the World Cup. Would you chuck him in the squad?”
Hartley: “Why not? He has played at a high level for a number of years. In Europe. He played with Scotland at a high level. You need that type of player sometimes, just to maybe come off the bench in the last 20 minutes to try and open the defence up.
“Hopefully, we can get the positive results. But sometimes you need a player of that stature to go and do something different in the game. We aren’t blessed with a lot of wingers. Good wingers, so we need someone who can open up the defences.”
Stewart: “The squad, it’s an enlarged squad to begin with. As Paul says there, for all those reasons, you can’t have too many similar players.
“I do think James Forrest, like what he is doing with Celtic, why would you not potentially look at having that option for Scotland, because there is no point chucking on like-for-like at times.
“James Forrest is a bit different, and he has a bit of quality.”
When did Forrest last play for Scotland?
By the time the World Cup is in full flow, Forrest will be 35, so this is his last chance to live a dream and play on world football’s biggest stage.
In total, Forrest has 39 caps to his name for Scotland, starting in 2011, making his debut against the Republic of Ireland when Craig Levein was in charge.
Celtic’s most decorated player of all time was part of Clarke’s squad that reached Euro 2020, but he only made one appearance, and after that, he would only appear one more time, against Gibraltar in a 2-0 friendly win in June 2024.
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