NEIL LENNON insists winger James Forrest will be a key man for Celtic as they head towards the extraordinary quadruple treble.
The champions walloped St Mirren 5-0 at Parkhead yesterday to move 16 points ahead of Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox outfit who play Ross County in Dingwall today.
A hat-trick from born-again striker Leigh Griffiths and singles from Odsonne Edouard and Callum McGregor (pen) also handed the Hoops a 26-strike advantage in goal difference.
Lennon will have had seven days to prepare his players for the visit to Ibrox a week today and has St Johnstone and Hibs to face before switching his focus to the Scottish Cup semi-final date with Aberdeen at Hampden on Easter Sunday.
Coincidentally, it was Forrest who fired the holders to a 3-0 victory over the Dons at the same stage last season when he whipped in a fabulous left-foot drive to break the Pittodrie side’s resistence just before the interval.
Lennon acknowledges the Scotland international is a big-game player and views the 28-year-old forward, who has already hit the 50-match mark for club and country this season, as being a prized component in the race for silverware.
The Irishman has no fears of burn-out and urged him Forrest and his team-mates to remain on course for another historic campaign.
The Parkhead gaffer, speaking to the Sunday Mail, said: “I’m not really worried about them.
“They’re showing no signs of their batteries running out at the moment, that’s for sure.
“Scott Brown missed the Kilmarnock game and Callum McGregor’s only missed two all season, I think.
“Jamesie is one you do have to keep an eye on a little bit, with the volume of games he plays and some of the hits he takes, as well.
“But he bounces back and his form has been fantastic over the last month or so.”
LETHAL LEIGH LASHES IN A HAT-TRICK
