Celtic extending James Forrest contract now looks like masterstroke

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Celtic agreed a contract extension with James Forrest last month with the winger now set to stay with the Scottish Premiership champions until 2022.

Few players in Celtic’s squad appear to have had a turnaround in fortunes like James Forrest has. The Hoops winger seemed to be going nowhere under Ronny Deila and there was speculation that he was set to leave Parkhead, but his situation has changed dramatically since Brendan Rodgers arrived.

It did not take Rodgers long to make Deila’s handling of Forrest look like one of the biggest mistakes of his underwhelming tenure. The Daily Record reported in April 2016 that West Brom were keen on signing the Scotland international, and had Deila stayed, you would imagine that the Bhoys would have been content to let him head to The Hawthorns.

Despite showing an enormous amount of promise initially, Forrest lost his way completely and there were probably not too many fans who believed that he could or would salvage his Celtic career.

But Rodgers’ appointment was the catalyst for a phenomenal transformation. His contract situation was quickly dealt with and his form returned just as rapidly.

Heading into this season however, there was another question mark over his future with his deal set to expire at the end of the campaign. And given some of the previous events that have taken place, some supporters may have feared whether an agreement would be sorted.

But it was reported by the Daily Mail last month that he has extended his contract and looks set to stay at the club until 2022. And just like the previous contract announcement, it has taken little time for that agreement to look like a fantastic deal.

Forrest stole the headlines following their weekend win over St Johnstone, scoring four as Celtic won 6-0 at McDiarmid Park. It was a remarkable way to bounce back from his controversial red card against Red Bull Salzburg in the previous game, and another reminder of his undeniable quality.

And with Celtic ensuring that they do not have to worry about speculation over Forrest’s future for the rest of the campaign, it appears that the Hoops may have already completed one of their best pieces of business this season.