It may have taken over a decade and a drawer full of medals, but at last, some respect may well be – as the kids say – being put on the name of James Forrest.

It seems the winger has been perennially underappreciated by some fans, and in recent years, underused even by managers who are nonetheless effusive in their praise of his abilities and his attitude.

But now, as he has stormed into Celtic’s season – literally, and figuratively, from the wings - and given the champions a timely creative boost in their attack, it seems that his value has never been so understood or acknowledged.

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Eyebrows were raised when Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers called Forrest the ‘best winger at the club’ a few months back. Not because anyone really doubted that he was a more accomplished player than the likes of newcomers Nicolas Kuhn or Yang Hyun-jun, but because he was barely making matchday squads, never mind getting on the pitch ahead of them.

All that has changed in recent weeks, starting with his immediate impact off the bench in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen - when he scored within seconds of replacing Yang - through his stunning double against Dundee and onto another eye-catching display in the weekend win over Hearts.

That run of fine form has made him a shoo-in, you would think, to start the titanic Old Firm title tussle at Celtic Park this weekend, with Forrest more than doing enough over recent weeks to merit a place on the opposite flank to the returning Daizen Maeda, who will surely be charged with tormenting Rangers captain James Tavernier on the Celtic left as he did in the recent draw at Ibrox.

Another unexpected by-product of Forrest’s late-season renaissance has been the sparking of debate around his prospects of making Steve Clarke’s squad for the European Championships.

Yes, Clarke’s tried and trusted system is noted for its lack of wingers, but the Scotland coach has shown at times he is not averse to changing things up when the occasion requires it. And if the Scots are toiling for a creative spark at any point during the tournament in Germany, Forrest would surely represent a solid bet from the bench at the very least.

With injuries to contend with and UEFA confirming last week that the permitted squad size will be expanded to 26 players, Forrest may well have timed his run perfectly then to not only help Celtic over the line in the league and cup on the home front, but to force his way onto the plane that will soon be bound for Bavaria.

Anyone who knows Forrest well, whether that be personally, as a player, or both, are falling over themselves at the minute to put his case forward. A reflection both on his character and on his ability as a footballer.

Take Matt O’Riley, for instance, who has been blown away by Forrest’s recent form, and is delighted to see his teammate's professionalism at last being rewarded. He hopes that recognition will stretch to representing his country at a major tournament.

“That would be awesome,” O’Riley said.

“You can’t say he doesn’t deserve it to some extent. He’s been so good in the last couple of months. I think [Steve Clarke] should take him because he’s very good.

“He’s just a good guy to have around the place too and that’s something to take into consideration, and hopefully some of the other lads go too. At least four have a chance to go, which would be nice.

“You don’t get 100 goals and assists for Celtic if you’re not half decent. He’s proven that over time, and I think he deserves a lot more respect than he gets in my opinion.”

Forrest may well have divided opinion at times throughout his career, but one thing that can’t be disputed is that he knows exactly what it takes to win trophies.

His 22 medals so far have him level with Scott Brown in joint-third place in the all-time Celtic honours list, and if he can help his side to a league and cup double this term, he will move ahead of Billy McNeill and into second place.

What’s more, he will be just one behind Bobby Lennox, who sits at the top of the pile on 25 major honours.

“It’s pretty mad how much he’s won,” O’Riley added.

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“He’s just such a really nice guy as well which is the most important thing. He’s just so down to earth. Even when he wasn’t playing regularly at the start of the season, he was still such a nice guy at the training ground. He was a nice guy to be around, never toxic towards anyone.

“If anyone deserves to be playing and be playing well it’s him. He’s also just very good at football too, which helps us.”