James Forrest (footballer born 1991)
Encyclopedia
James Forrest is a Scottish footballer who plays as a winger for Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

 the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

 and the Scotland under-21 national football team
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....

.

He joined Celtic's youth academy
Celtic F.C. Reserve and Youth squads
As well as the Celtic first team, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the club also have reserve and under-19 sides.-Reserve team:Celtic Reserves are the reserve team of Celtic. The team mainly consists of Under-19 players at the club and fringe first team players...

 in 2003 and progressed through the ranks before making his debut in the 2009-10 season. He has progressed to become a key player in Celtic's team and is widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the Scottish game. In November 2011, the Scottish Football Association's
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...

 performance director, Mark Wotte
Mark Wotte
Mark Wotte is a football manager from the Netherlands, who has managed teams in the Netherlands, Egypt, Qatar, England and Romania. He is currently the performance director of the Scottish Football Association....

, described him as being "the light in the darkness" of Scottish football.

Forres had played at every youth level for Scotland before making his first team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

 debut on 29 May 2011 in a match against Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. He has 13 caps for the under-19s
Scotland national under-19 football team
The Scotland national under-19 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national football team for players of 19 years of age or under at the start of a European Under-19 Football Championship campaign....

, having scored three goals. He also has four caps for under-21
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....

.

Early life and career

Forrest played for South Ayr Boys Club when he was younger, and consistently shone at every level. He was scouted by Celtic's talent spotter for Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...

, Jim Began, at the age of 11. Several other clubs such as Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...

, Ayr United
Ayr United F.C.
Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...

 and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 were also interested in him. He signed youth terms with Celtic at the age of 13 and then joined Celtic's coaching school in Hamilton
Hamilton
- Australia :* Hamilton, New South Wales, suburb of Newcastle** Hamilton railway station, New South Wales* Hamilton, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane* Hamilton, South Australia* Hamilton, Tasmania* Hamilton, Victoria* Hamilton Island, Queensland- Canada :...

, which his coach Martin Millar credits with helping his development.

Forrest had the prospect of a professional tennis career when he was younger, he was consistently approached by Prestwick Tennis Club to play for them. But he refused as he wanted to pursue his career in football. He was described by coaches at the club as being a naturally talenetd player, who could just "pick up a racket and play".

Celtic

On 30 August 2009, Forrest signed signed a four-year contract with Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

. Their Head of Youth development, Chris McCart
Chris McCart
Christopher 'Chris' McCart is a Scottish former footballer who played as a defender. McCart spent most of his career with Motherwell, spending twelve seasons with the Fir Park club before a short spell with Falkirk...

, hailed him as one of the best players in Celtic's U19 squad. He then made his first team debut for Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

 on 1 May 2010, coming on as a late substitute against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...

. He scored six minutes after his arrival to the game, to make it 3-0,before Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....

 added another.

He made his first European appearance for the club in a Champions League qualifying game against Braga
SC Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga , commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club, from the city of Braga. Its football team plays at the AXA Stadium, also known as The Quarry, which was built for UEFA Euro 2004...

 in July 2010. A few days later he won the man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...

 award for his performance in the Emirates Cup
Emirates Cup
The Emirates Cup is an annual two-day pre-season football tournament hosted by English Premier League club Arsenal and held at the Emirates Stadium, the club's home ground...

 game with Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

. He continued this fine form into the league campaign, scoring against St Mirren in a 4-0 victory. On 11 September 2010 he scored again, opening the scoring in a 3-0 victory over Hearts. On the same day, Forrest was named the SPL Young Player of the Month
Scottish Premier League monthly awards
This article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...

 for August 2010 On 28 January 2011, Forrest wwas rewarded for his form with a new five-year deal at Celtic.

Forrest played in Celtic's first match of the 2011-12 season, coming on as a 60th minute substitute in a 2-0 win over Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

. On 13 August 2011, he scored his first goal of the season. The final goal in a 5-1 win over Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...

. A month later he scored twice as Celtic beat Motherwell 4-0. After this captain Scott Brown said that Forrest was the best player to come out of the Celtic youth academy
Celtic F.C. Reserve and Youth squads
As well as the Celtic first team, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the club also have reserve and under-19 sides.-Reserve team:Celtic Reserves are the reserve team of Celtic. The team mainly consists of Under-19 players at the club and fringe first team players...

 since Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady is a Scottish-born Irish footballer who currently plays as a winger for Russian club Spartak Moscow. Although born and brought up in Scotland, McGeady plays internationally for the Republic of Ireland, a country he qualifies for through his grandparents...

. Forrest then started in Celtic's 2-0 loss to Atlético Madrid. On 24 september, he scored in Celtic's 2-0 victory over Inverness
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...

. Five days later he played in Celtic's 1-1 draw with Italian side Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....

. Forrest's performances in the month of September saw him win SPL Young Player of the Month
Scottish Premier League monthly awards
This article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...

 for a 2nd time since moving up to the first team. In Celtic's Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...

 quarter final tie with Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

 on 26 October, Forrest was credited with a match winning performance. Celtic went in at the break 1-0 down but Forrest was instrumental in reigniting the tie after half-time, with two early goals. On 31 October, English Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur's
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 chief scout Ian Broomfield was reported to have watched Forrest in action. His manager, Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....

, later confirmed this was true and that he believd Forrest to be a good player. However, he also said that at that stage he had not considered making a bid for Forrest. In early November, the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...

s new Dutch performance director Mark Wotte
Mark Wotte
Mark Wotte is a football manager from the Netherlands, who has managed teams in the Netherlands, Egypt, Qatar, England and Romania. He is currently the performance director of the Scottish Football Association....

, who helped start the careers of playes like Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...

, Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...

 and Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....

, said that he sees Forrest as being "the light in the darkness" of Scottish football. He said that if more players like Forrest are produced then the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

 will be able to match the performance of countries like Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...

, who got to the 2010 World Cup semi-final
2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the second and final stage of the World Cup, following the group stage. It began on 26 June with the round of 16 matches, and ended on 11 July with the final match of the tournament held at Soccer City, Johannesburg, in which Spain beat the...

 and at the time were fourth in the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...

 despite having a population smaller than Scotland's.

International career

Forrest has been capped for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

 at U16 and U19 level
Scotland national under-19 football team
The Scotland national under-19 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national football team for players of 19 years of age or under at the start of a European Under-19 Football Championship campaign....

. He made his Scotland under 19 debut on 20 October 2008 in a European Championship
UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...

 qualifier against Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...

.

Following his fine club form at the start of the 2010-11 season
2010–11 Celtic F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was the 122nd season of competitive football by Celtic.-Overview:Celtic began the 2010–11 pre-season by signing Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley and defenders Charlie Mulgrew and Cha Du-Ri on free transfers, while Daryl Murphy and Efraín Juárez signed for undisclosed fees...

, Forrest was called into the Scotland U21 side
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....

. On 7 September, he came off the bench for Scotland U21s and assisted in the 89th minute for Chris Maguire
Chris Maguire
Christopher Jack "Chris" Maguire is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for English Championship side Derby County after agreeing a three year deal.-Aberdeen:...

 to score the winning goal against Austria
Austria national under-21 football team
The Austria national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Austria and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association....

.
On May 17 2011, Forrest was selected in Craig Levein's Scotland senior team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

 to face Wales and Republic of Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup. He made his full international debut on 29 May in the match against the Republic of Ireland. Forrest then came on as a substitute in Scotland's 2-1 win over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...

 on 10 August.

Career statistics

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
App Goals Assists App Goals Assists App Goals Assists App Goals Assists App Goals Assists
Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

2009–10 2 1 0
|-
2 1 0
2010–11 19 3 4 3 0 |2 0 0 0 2 0 0 24 3 5
2011–12 16 5 2 0 0 |0 2 2 0 7 0 2 25 7 4
Total 379630122090251119
Career total 379630122090251119

Style of play

Although his favoured position is on the right wing, he can also play on the left or as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

.

Forrest has explosive pace and also exceptional ball control and dribbling skills. This gives him the capability of beating his man and going down the wing, or coming inside and beating several players. His manager, Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....

, has said how over his first few seasons at Celtic he has been able to extend the distance of his explosive runs from 15 or 20 yards up to 30 or 40 yards. Forrest is also a very good finisher and, although predominantly right footed, equally capable with both feet, some of the less natural aspects of his game are his passing and football intelligence. However, Lennon believes that these areas of his game are quickly improving. Forrest has great fitness levels and is generally able to keep playing at a very high intensity throughout the whole of a match. He is a very enthusiastic player who has incredible hunger and desire for the game and shows great bravery and vision in his play. Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 winger, and regular Scotland under-21
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....

 team mate, Gregg Wylde
Gregg Wylde
Gregory "Gregg" Wylde is a Scottish association footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers.-Career:Wylde joined Rangers' youth system from Old Firm rivals Celtic when he was 14. He made his first-team debut as a late substitute against Hamilton Academical on 29 August 2009...

 described him as being the kind of player who never hides from his responsibility during a match.

Although he has been compared to former Celtic player Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady is a Scottish-born Irish footballer who currently plays as a winger for Russian club Spartak Moscow. Although born and brought up in Scotland, McGeady plays internationally for the Republic of Ireland, a country he qualifies for through his grandparents...

, he is generally seen as being much more direct. He is more often compared to the old fashioned variety of Scottish wingers like Jimmy Johnstone
Jimmy Johnstone
James Connolly "Jimmy" Johnstone was a Scottish football player. Johnstone was best known for his time with Celtic, and was voted their best ever player by the club's fans in 2002...

, of Celtic, or Willie Henderson
Willie Henderson
William "Willie" Henderson is a retired Scottish football player. He played most of his career for Rangers, and spent the latter part of his career with Sheffield Wednesday, in Hong Kong with Hong Kong Rangers and with Airdrieonians. He was a prolific winger...

, of Rangers. Former Celtic legend Bertie Auld
Bertie Auld
Robert "Bertie" Auld is a Scottish former football player and manager, perhaps most notable as a member of Celtic's Lisbon Lions side of 1967. As a player, he made more than 200 appearances in the Scottish League playing for Celtic, Dumbarton and Hibernian, and more than 100 in the Football League...

 described him as being the kind of player who 'puts bums in seats' and then has the technical ability to "lift bums off the seats once the game starts".

Personal

  • Emirates Cup Young Player of the Tournament
    Emirates Cup
    The Emirates Cup is an annual two-day pre-season football tournament hosted by English Premier League club Arsenal and held at the Emirates Stadium, the club's home ground...

    : 2010
  • SPL Young Player of the Month
    Scottish Premier League monthly awards
    This article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...

    : August 2010, September 2011

External links

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