James Forrest signs on for 18th season at Celtic

James Forrest has signed a new deal at Celtic, keeping the club's most decorated player on until the end of next season.

The 34-year-old winger has won 26 trophies, including 13 league titles, and has scored 110 goals in 564 appearances.

Forrest has featured in 36 games this term - often from the bench - and made a big impact as a substitute in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren.

"I've been here my full career and I've loved every minute of it," said the Scotland international, who has found the net in each of his 17 campaigns.

"I'll just give my best to the club for however long I'll be here. I can hopefully keep contributing."

Speaking to the club's website, he added: "When I do stop, I will look back on so many great memories, but hopefully I can make a few more before I do finish."

Forrest made his Celtic debut under Neil Lennon in 2010 and has played under seven different managers since.

As well as his 13 league titles, he has also won seven Scottish Cups, six League Cups and was both the Scottish Football Writers' and PFA Scotland players' player of the year in 2018-19.

"I really want James to finish his career here at Celtic," said interim manager Martin O'Neill. "I just didn't want him going elsewhere, and I think he wanted that as well.

"But the major point about taking anyone on is to know whether they're worth an extra year and James has proved this season that he has been worth that.

"He has changed games, and he has done wonderfully well. His contribution in recent weeks when he's come off the bench has been absolutely terrific, and he has deserved it. So, take sentimentality right out of it.

"He's been immense since Neil Lennon brought him in. Even to have that little burst of pace at his age is worth its weight in gold."

In Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren, Forrest was aggressive when Celtic had lapsed into timidity. He was full of verve when too many of his team-mates were toiling. He was the spark.

He's a bit-part winger these days and for many other days that went before.

Forrest has started seven games this season, 11 the season before and single figures for the two seasons before that. Part of that was influenced by injury but in other part it was down to the arrival of shiny new wingers who haven't been anything like as shiny as Celtic hoped.

Expensive, too. Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha are the latest two but, for years, Forrest has counted them in and counted them back out again - Marian Shved, Luis Palma, Marco Tilio, Nicolas Kuhn, Liel Abada. Some successful, some not, some others who just disappeared into thin air.

That is far from a complete list of Celtic's wide men in recent times. Regardless, Forrest remains the constant, the great survivor and the enduring influencer.

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