James Forrest will remain at Celtic for at least another season after signing a new deal that keeps the club’s most decorated player at Parkhead until the end of next term.
It’s another milestone in a remarkable career that has now stretched far beyond what most players manage at a single club.
The 34-year-old winger has built a legacy few can match, collecting 26 trophies along the way, including 13 league titles. He has also hit 110 goals across 564 appearances, a return that speaks to both longevity and consistency at the top level.
What makes it even more striking is his ability to keep contributing across so many seasons. Forrest has scored in every one of his 17 campaigns as a professional, a rare run that underlines just how steady his influence has been.
Speaking after signing the extension, Forrest reflected on his long association with the club and what it still means to him.
“I’ve been here my full career and I’ve loved every minute of it,” said the Scotland international.
Speaking to the club’s website, he continued: “We’ve been so successful in my time here and I’m delighted to have signed another year, and I’ll just give my best to the club for however long I’ll be here.
“While I’m still playing I can hopefully keep contributing and helping the team when I can and I’m just going to give it everything until I finish. 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.”
Even this season, Forrest has shown he still has a role to play. He has featured 36 times and made a noticeable impact off the bench, including a key contribution in the Scottish Cup semi final win over St Mirren.
Interim manager Martin O’Neill was equally clear about why the deal made sense, stressing that sentiment had nothing to do with it.
“I really want James to finish his career,” he said. “I just didn’t want him to be 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, and that’s the point.
“So, take sentimentality right out of it, he’s deserved it.
“He’s been immense for the football club since Neil Lennon brought him in when he was a young kid in the reserves, and he is what I love. I love players who take people on and he can take people on, even to have that little burst of pace at his age is worth its weight in gold.”
Forrest may not be starting every week anymore, but his influence clearly hasn’t faded. And Celtic clearly still see enough in him to keep the story going a little longer.