Celtic 'difference maker' can to be Scotland's secret weapon and Steve Clarke should take him to the World Cup
The Celtic forward has been backed for a Scotland World Cup recall.
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has been urged to hand an international recall to Celtic’s James Forrest, with the veteran winger backed to be the national team’s secret weapon at the World Cup this summer.
Celtic’s most decorated player on 26 major trophies, Forrest has battled his way back into the Hoops’ starting XI in recent weeks, and started last weekend’s 3-1 win over Falkirk after a game-changing performance off the bench in the Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren the week previous.
Rewarded with a one-year contract extension by the club after a series of impressive cameos, manager Martin O’Neill admitted he would take him to the World Cup if he were Scotland boss, and former international midfielder Paul Hartley has echoed his thoughts, insisting he would provide a different dynamic to the forward line.
“Why not?” Hartley told Premier Sports. “He's been a great player. A one club man, he's shown it season upon season. He doesn't start every week, but when you need him, he can make the difference. "You saw it in the Scottish Cup, he makes a difference when he comes on. He's someone you can rely on. He can score a goal, he can create a goal, you need those kind of players in your squad. And he's got the know how of winning championships.
“He's played at a high level for a number of years in Europe, and for Scotland at high levels. You need that type of players sometimes to come off the bench in the last 20 minutes and open a defence up. Hopefully, we can get the positive result, but sometimes you need a player of that stature to go and do something different in the game. We aren't blessed with that many wingers. We need someone who can open up defences. The strongest part of the team is the midfield. Up top, we struggle to score goals.”
Fellow pundit Michael Stewart also backed calls for Forrest to be brought back into the Scotland fold after a two-year absence, while he also believes Southampton striker Ross Stewart should be on Clarke’s radar ahead of the tournament after his 10-goal haul in the EFL Championship this season.
The 62-year-old Scotland boss is set to announce a 55-man provisional squad later this month, and the former Hibs and Hearts midfielder is adamant that both players should be given a chance to impress with a view to including them in the final 26-man squad that heads to the World Cup in June.
“Ross Stewart has come back from injury,” said Stewart. “He's scoring goals, and performing well. As for James Forrest, it's an enlarged squad to begin with, and you can't have too many similar players. I just think James Forrest, what he's doing for Celtic, why wouldn't you look at doing that for Scotland? He's a bit different, and he's got quality.”
The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.