James Forrest lifts lid on Martin O'Neill's first Celtic meeting as winger blown away by Irish veteran's aura
He's waited a long time to be able to call O'Neill boss - but the caretaker's impact after returning to Parkhead was almost instant.
James Forrest first signed for Celtic the same year as the Martin O’Neill revolution kicked in at Parkhead.
The nearest the then nine-year-old academy kid got to the legendary manager was as a ball boy on match day.
But Forrest - who has graduated to become the club’s most decorated player of all time - was schooled in the Hoops traditions during those five years where O’Neill delivered seven trophies including three titles.
So even now, at 34, he admits he’s in awe just to get to call the iconic Irishman “boss”.
Twenty-five years on from those early touches as a young Bhoy, the winger hung on every word of O’Neill’s first team talk after the veteran’s sensational return to fill the void of Brendan Rodgers’ sudden departure last week.
Well almost every word. As O’Neill looks to turn the clock back by guiding the Hoops to victory over Rangers at Hampden this afternoon, Forrest admits there’s one aspect of the Irishman’s previous Celtic masterplan that terrifies him.
The thought of being asked to fill the ‘Didier Agathe role’ by running the entire right wing. Half-joking, he said: “Aye that was what I was worrying about when he came in - I haven’t got the legs for that!
“He keeps comparing my age with his age - but I don’t know if I have got that in me anymore.
“But, even for me as an older player, you can take great confidence from hearing him tell you he has watched you over the years.
“It makes you feel good. I cannot speak for the younger lads but for the likes of myself and Cal, it is good to hear.
“You do need that kind of feedback sometimes as a footballer.
“I’d actually never met him before. I’ve been here since I was nine and I was a ball boy for some games. Was too far away to get near him.
“But you know what he's done here, so it's incredible to have him back overseeing things.
“He’s still in great nick for his age. To be fair, he spoke really well when he came in. He spoke with us for like 10-15 minutes in the morning of the game on Wednesday.
“You could just see all the boys really bought into what he was saying. Especially for me as well, knowing what he's done for the club.
“I’ve had really good managers, been involved with great players and stuff over the years, and that's just another one that you've been about.
“The aura, when he was in the room, when everybody was speaking, everything was properly tuned in, and that's what he deserves obviously.”
“He was so positive, he was praising the lads, he was being really confident. And that was I think maybe what the lads needed in the morning in the game because it was a difficult 48 hours for everyone.
“He just made it really light-hearted. He said he was nervous but excited and wanted to do well for us.
“He was going round the lads and telling us that there's winners in the changing room, and just bigging us up. It really hit home
“You could tell, the lads, the way we went out on Wednesday night, we were really a team.”
As excited as Forrest is to work under O’Neill, even for a short period, he admits the sudden exit of Rodgers and long-standing assistant John Kennedy has been tough.
An incredible 11 of his record-breaking 26 major honours were won with Rodgers as his boss.
And, as he looks to take a step closer to trophy number 27, Forrest admitted the departure of the Northern Irishman was a sad day.
He said: “Oh definitely. I've had Brendan Rodgers two different spells now, and I've had some of my best football under him.
“What he's done for me has been great over the years.
“And obviously Kendo as well, I've known him for so many years, I don't think anyone at the club can say a bad word about him.
“Maybe people don't see on the outside what he does every day.
“Anything off the pitch or on it, if you ever needed something or had a problem, you could go to him. That's big in football.
“So definitely sad.
“But these things do happen in football and you do need to move on. But loads of great memories with them, and you can look back on it positively.”
Hoops chiefs moved quickly to replace Rodgers with O’Neill while Shaun Maloney has stepped up from player pathway manager to assist.
And Forrest reckons the former Wigan and Hibs boss was always destined to return to Parkhead where he enjoyed two spells as a player.
He said: “Aye definitely. Shaun has been our loans manager for the last couple of months, so the players have seen him around the building.
“I played with him for both Celtic and Scotland and what a player he was.
“You can just tell with the mentality that he has that he was destined to be at Celtic. I think the combination with him and Martin is a good one.”
It’s not just Celtic with a new voice in the dug out this afternoon as Danny Rohl; prepares for his first Old Firm just a two and a half weeks after taking over at Rangers.
And Forrest said: “Every time I have played Rangers there has always been something, there has never been a normal Celtic v Rangers game.
“There has been some stuff which has not happened before, like this one where both managers have been replaced in the last couple of weeks.
“It is just down to the players and staff and get together to make sure we get a positive result.”