The inside reaction to James Forrest joining Celtic 500 club as teammates demanded SPEECH after Rangers clash

James Forrest didn’t know if he’d ever play for Celtic again. That’s why reaching a phenomenal 500 meant so much. But modest Forrest has revealed he ducked a speech after being saluted by boss Brendan Rodgers.

At the beginning this year the 33-year-old wasn’t sure if his Parkhead time was up. After appearing against Livingston two days before Christmas the 33-year-old didn’t get a look in through January and February. With Nicolas Kuhn recruited during that time frame to add to Rodgers’ winger options Forrest’s prospects seemed bleak. But typical of his character he reacted in the only way he knows how.

Forrest kept his head down, kept working, kept fighting, kept day-on-day at Lennoxtown trying to show he still had a part to play. Of course everyone knows the ending. Forrest returned to the team, against Livi again, in the second week of March and was pivotal in the run to the Double. His experience, goals and assists were crucial through the business end of the term and returned him onto the road for the 500.

Forrest has started this term just as he ended the last and received a rapturous ovation as an appreciative support roared him onto the park during the 3-0 thumping of Rangers. He got the same appreciation when he hit the dressing room. But just as he eludes full-backs he dodged the limelight.

Forrest smiled and said: “A couple of boys were shouting for me to make a speech but I managed to get away from that one! In the changing room he (Rodgers) spoke about the game, first and foremost, and how well the boys did defensively and attack-wise. And then he mentioned it at the end, he just said it was a great achievement.”

Being part of the Rangers rout was a fitting way to hit the mark but Forrest said: “I only knew