A word for the most underappreciated Celtic player in history

Next week marks 14 years since James Forrest scored on his Celtic debut. 5105 days, 488 appearances and 106 goals later, the one-club man remains a hugely prominent figure in the Hoops dressing room.

As far as Celtic greats go, Forrest's name is right up there. With 22 trophies to his name, the winger is the joint-third most decorated player in the club's illustrious history. He has the same amount of winners' medals as Scott Brown and can eclipse the iconic Billy McNeill's record of 23 trophy wins as a player if Brendan Rodgers' side achieve a Double this season. That impressive feat would leave him just one behind the all-time record set by Bobby Lennox of 25.

So by the time Forrest does decide to pull the curtain down on his astonishing Parkhead career, there's every chance the five-time Treble-winner will have lifted more silverware than any other player in the club's 136-year history. It's a remarkable story for one of Celtic's best homegrown talents, yet he doesn't get anywhere near the adulation that he deserves - nor does he crave it.

Unlike most modern-day players, Forrest prefers to keep a low profile. You won't see the 32-year-old boasting about his lavish holidays on Instagram as he lives his life away from the social media spotlight.

Quiet by nature but gifted with an explosive ability on the park, it's incredible to think that Forrest has survived seven managerial changes since his breakthrough season. Tony Mowbray, Ronny Deila, Ange Postecoglou, Neil Lennon and Rodgers have all been and gone (and returned in the case of the latter two) yet Forrest has always remained part of the furniture.

Ask Scott Brown or Charlie Mulgrew about the best players they've ever shared a dressing room with, and Forrest's name will be one of the first mentioned. An extraordinary compliment when you think of some of the superstars who have walked through the Parkhead corridors since 2010.

Yet while Forrest has always been a hugely respected figure in the dressing room, the same can't be said for in the stands. It's fair to say the academy graduate has often been the whipping boy for a section of the Parkhead faithful, and unfairly too. It makes you scratch your head when you think of Forrest's immense contribution over the years, becoming only the third player since Jimmy Johnstone and Henrik Larsson to reach both a century of goals and assists for the club. It's the stuff of legend.

He's been involved in some unforgettable moments too; thundering Celtic into the Champions League group stages against Shakhtar Karagandy, a last-minute winner against Rangers in 2019 and a League Cup semi-final winning goal to sink St Johnstone and kickstart Big Ange's trophy-laden two years in charge.

And just when some thought his influence was beginning to fade, the veteran produced another enormous moment by climbing off the bench to fire Celtic ahead in Saturday's exhilarating classic Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden. Despite his unprecedented success, Forrest's pure and raw emotion as he celebrated that goal told you everything you need to know. He's still got that fire in the belly to achieve even more glory with his boyhood club.

Even when he was sacrificed for Maik Nawrocki in the dying seconds of extra-time as Celts attempted and failed to protect their slender lead, there was no fuss or throwing the toys out of the pram. Forrest understood he was taking one for the team, despite being brought on for Yang earlier in the game. That moment underlined his ultimate professionalism, invaluable experience and unconditional love for the club he's dedicated his entire career to.

Forrest is the last of a dying breed. They simply don't make players like him anymore, and aside from Callum McGregor, the new generation of fans won't see many more testimonials at Parkhead in the coming decades.

They say you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone and that will be the case when Forrest decides to hang up his boots. A living, breathing Celtic legend who has scored in each of his 15 seasons - and he's not finished yet.