Johan Mjallby has urged Brendan Rodgers to start James Forrest against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final, praising the ‘sensational’ winger for his recent form.
Mjallby was the assistant manager to Neil Lennon at Celtic when Forrest came through the ranks at the club, and he says that they always knew they had a special talent on their hands.
He has been delighted to see the recent re-emergence of Forrest into the Celtic starting XI, and he hasn’t been surprised in the slightest to witness the impact he had in the closing weeks of the league campaign.
He is sure that he is capable of making another telling contribution if he is given the nod to start on the right of the Celtic attack once again this weekend.
“It will be interesting to see if Brendan picks James Forrest again, because he’s been in such great form,” Mjallby said.
“I was here with Neil when he came through as a young player. He’s a terrific lad and it’s great to see him still performing. It’s fantastic when you look at the success he’s had over the years.
“We knew he was a player. He was sensational when he first came on the scene. He was just an old school winger who could go inside and outside. He had this fantastic speed.
“James was unfortunate with injuries at one point as it was a little stop-start for him.
“He’s low key and so modest, – he’s the perfect Celtic player in a sense. He works hard and listens to his coaches and managers, so you always know what you are going to get from him.
“It’s been great seeing him back and it is great seeing him back and with a chance of starting at Hampden again.”
*Johan Mjallby was speaking at a Scottish Gas media event. Scottish Gas is the proud partner of the Scottish Cup.
