“Never seen anything like it”… James Forrest blown away by Celtic teammate’s lightning training effort

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James Forrest has been at Celtic for his whole football career.

The 33-year-old winger has played with greats like Scott Brown and Callum McGregor and skilful players like Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard and Paddy Roberts.

Forrest has seen everything in the game from a Quadruple Treble to an Invincibles season to the nine-in-a-row.

He’s also notched up 20 career wins out of 29 over Rangers which included the 5-1 win at Ibrox back in 2017.

The point is, you would think that he has seen it all. And he had. Until the arrival of one player in December 2021.

Forrest blown away by Daizen Maeda

In his prime, James Forrest was the quickest player at Celtic. Indeed, Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers believes the Scotland winger still is but that all changed when Maeda arrived at the club.

And Forrest admits the Japan international does things in training he’s never seen before.

Forrest said [Daily Record print edition page 48], “I still feel quick. That’s a big part of what Celtic is all about and I can still get about.

“With Scotland in the summer, I still managed to clock some decent speeds.

“A lot of players can still hit the speeds when they get older, it’s just harder to keep doing it!

“I don’t know if I would win a race at Celtic now mind you, we’ve got a lot of guys who are pretty fast.

“In the past, we had guys like Jeremie Frimpong or Ollie Burke, who were quick but we’ve got a lot of guys who are at a similar level. It would be tight.

“Then there’s Daizen Maeda, who just runs all day. I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Maeda is a player who gives defenders nightmares. His constant running and unbelievable pace make him one of the best pressers in the game.

His fitness and pace not only make him an effective attacking weapon, it also elevate him as a key player as the first line of defence for Celtic.

Maeda has been integral to Celtic’s successes over the last few seasons and there is no doubt that he will continue to be as Brendan Rodgers prepares to defend his SPFL title next season.