JAMES FORREST has eight games – hopefully nine – to preserve a remarkable goalscoring record.
Celtic’s evergreen 33-year-old winger netted in FIFTEEN successive seasons after claiming one on his debut against Motherwell in 2009/10.
Forrest made his first appearance of 2025 in his cameo outing in the 3-0 win over Hearts at the weekend when he came off the substitutes’ bench to replace Filipe Jota in the 81st minute. An injury sustained in the Premier Sports League Cup Final triumph in mid-December forced him out of 21 successive matchday squads.
His incredible scoring sequence is now under threat with the Scotland international yet to register a solitary strike in 2024/25.
The one-club man has collected 108 goals from 518 appearances and that’s an even more astonishing statistic when you consider he has spent a huge percentage of his career playing on the wing.
THE LONG GOODBYE…James Forrest during the Premier Sports League Cup triumph at Hampden in mid-December – his last appearance until his cameo role against Hearts at the weekend.
The penalty-kick shoot-out victory over Rangers at Hampden before the turn of the year saw the veteran raider pick up his TWENTY-FIFTH Hoops honour.
There are seven Premiership matches to play – with the countdown continuing against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Sunday – while the holders will also face the Perth club in the Scottish Cup semi-final at the national stadium later this month.
Forrest has history of striking appearances at Hampden, particularly in three successive League Cup Final triumphs.
He claimed the second and decisive goal 15 minutes from time in the Hoops’ 2-0 triumph over Dundee United at Hampden on March 15 2015. Kris Commons had opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark.
FINAL SAY: NUMBER ONE…there’s no sign of James Forrest, but the ball is in the Dundee United net for Celtic’s clinching goal in the League Cup showdown in March 2015.
FINAL SAY: NUMBER TWO…James Forrest races away in triumph after scoring the second in the 3-0 win over Aberdeen in November 2016.
FINAL SAY: NUMBER THREE…James Forrest strikes again to leave Motherwell devastated with the opener in Celtic’s 2-0 triumph in November 2017.
There was a hiccup in following year, but normal service was resumed on November 27 2016 when Forrest flashed in the second goal in the 4oth minute of the 3-0 victory over Aberdeen in the silverware showdown in the same tournament.
Tom Rogic had opened the scoring in the 16th minute and Moussa Dembele completed the celebrations with a third from the penalty spot to hand Brendan Rodgers his first honour as Parkhead gaffer.
Forrest completed a personal Hampden hat-trick on November 26 2017 when he claimed the breakthrough goal in the 2-0 success over Motherwell.
It had been deadlocked 0-0 at the interval, but four minutes after the turnaround the dependable Celt completed a solo run with a curling shot low past keeper Trevor Carson for the goal that put the holders on their way to a fourth trophy in 18 months during Rodgers’ reign.
Nine minutes later, Dembele sealed the success with a neat penalty-kick.
It was another day of cheer for Celtic – and James Forrest.
And he is hoping to turn his frown upside down before the crescendo to the current crusade with at least one goal.
Here is a list of some of the club’s top scorers in consecutive seasons.
HISTORY BHOY…Celtic’s all-time top goalscorer Jimmy McGrory menaces the rival keeper in his heyday. The burly frontman netted in 16 successive seasons for the Hoops.
18: Jimmy McMenemy.
17: Bobby Lennox.
16: Jimmy McGrory, Paul McStay.
15: Jimmy Quinn, Patsy Gallacher, James Forrest.
14: Roy Aitken.
13: Sandy McMahon.
12: Stevie Chalmers, John Hughes.
