James Forrest has experienced his fair share of Glasgow derbies as a Celtic player.
With 500 appearances in Hoops colours, Forrest is one of the club's most decorated individuals.
He looked to be on his way out the Glasgow giants a year ago after falling way down the pecking order, but he worked his way back into Brendan Rodgers' plans after the New Year and played a pivotal role in Celtic clinching a league and Scottish Cup double last time out.
That form earned the 33-year-old a long overdue Scotland national team recall for Euro 2024 over the summer and he's continued those eye-catching displays this season.
Speaking about his journey which has seen him start as a ball boy to suddenly scoring in huge European ties and winning countless major honours, Forrest described his 15 years in the Celtic first team as "unbelievable".
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Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “It’s starts off with being a ball boy and when you’re playing and training through the youth it’s very difficult. You always get told when you’re coming through the age groups that it’s about one per cent that get from coming through to making it in the first team.
“So when you do get into the first team it’s unbelievable. It’s obviously a great experience I’ve had.”
Reflecting on his debut against Motherwell back in 2010, where he leaped off the bench to score in 4-0 win, the veteran winger noted: “When you look back you always laugh. Darren O’Dea always sends me the video as well because I think all the first team boys, they were buzzing for me. It was unbelievable to come on, my family were here and it made it even better to score as well.”
Forrest once netted during a 5-0 thrashing of arch-rivals Rangers to win the Scottish Premiership for a seventh consecutive season in April 2018- and it’s a moment that he will never forget.
“It was unbelievable,” he explained. “You could see all the fans waiting outside. The atmosphere was electric for the 90 minutes. The fans, they definitely get behind the team and keep them going.
“I’d scored my first goal against Rangers and we’d won the league, so it was another great day all round that kind of fell into place.”
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