“There’s always pressure here,” admits Celtic legend James Forrest | OneFootball

James Forrest has conceded that the current campaign has tested Celtic more severely than the ill-fated COVID season…

Celtic players celebrate the third goal by James Forrest. Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 21 December 2025. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/Shutterstock

However, the veteran winger maintains there is a strong sense of unity inside the dressing room as the club looks to turn the corner following a long-awaited victory at the weekend under Wilfried Nancy.

Having amassed an unprecedented haul of honours across nearly two decades in Glasgow, Forrest is no stranger to success, but this year has brought a different kind of challenge.

The failed pursuit of 10 in a row during the 2020/21 COVID campaign had previously stood as the toughest spell of his career, marking the only time since his breakthrough season that he finished without a trophy.

21.12.2025 Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership. James Forrest scores for Celtic 3-1. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

Now, the 34 year-old admits this campaign has broken new ground, with managerial upheaval, a loss in the Premier Sports League Cup final against St Mirren and a six-point gap to Premiership leaders Hearts creating unfamiliar pressure.

Nancy endured a nightmare opening four games as Celtic manager, losing every single one of them in succession – a sequence not seen at the club for more than four decades – before finally stopping the rot with a vital 3–1 victory over Aberdeen.

Forrest believes that result could prove pivotal, stressing that the squad are fully committed to the new regime and determined to ensure the season still ends on a positive note.

Kieran Tierney and James Forrest celebrate during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Speaking via Daily Record, the Celtic legend said: “Obviously we don’t want to get carried away. It’s still so early in the season. It’s still really early for the manager as well.”

“But I think it just shows that we are together and I just look forward to Saturday now. It’s been difficult. I think I’ve been here for so long, I’ve had so much success, so many good moments.”

“I’d say the kind of 10-in-a-row season but then obviously that was Covid and the fans weren’t in so there was something different about that one. I’d say maybe nothing really kind of like the last couple of weeks.”

James Forrest. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Tannadice, 17 December 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Forrest added: “Obviously, we’ve had a couple of different managers and stuff as well, but I think that just shows that we all need to make sure we stay together and that’s what we have done the last couple of weeks.”

“Hopefully, we can just go game at a time, build back up the confidence and as you saw on Sunday, we could have scored six or seven goals but we kept going and we managed to get the win in the end. Hopefully we can kick on from here.”

The Frenchman is set to oversee his first uninterrupted week on the training ground, though his preparations will be swiftly tested by difficult away fixtures against Livingston and Motherwell, before attention turns to a high-stakes New Year derby against theRangers at Celtic Park.

James Forrest in action against St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup Final on 14 December 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

“I think, obviously being at Celtic, every game you go into it’s always a massive game,” Forrest continued. “There’s always cup competitions, it’s European ties, it’s league games and I think it’s always massive. I think the pressure from the fans, the press, the players and the manager, there’s always pressure here.”

6.11.2025 HERNING PILKA NOZNA LIGA EUROPY UEFA SEZON 2025/2026 FOOTBALL UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE FC MIDTJYLLAND – CELTIC GLASGOW N/Z ARNE ENGELS JAMES FORREST MIKEL GOGORZA FOT. KAROL POLIT/NEWSPIX.PL — newspix.pl

“So I think obviously now you see that the league is tight up there but we have been there before when the league’s tight and we just need to go about our business and just focus on ourselves and hopefully just keep picking up victories.”

Conor Spence

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