James Forrest – Celtic Winger’s 2025-26 Stats and Injury Return

James Forrest remains one of the most recognisable figures in Scottish football. The Celtic winger, still part of the first-team squad in the 2025-26 season, has now scored for the club in 17 straight campaigns, a record that places him alongside Celtic greats.

Forrest’s latest season has mixed regular involvement with a recent spell on the sidelines. After missing six matches, he was back in training around 11 December 2025, according to BBC Sport. His contract situation has also drawn attention, with Celtic’s own player profile describing an extension until summer 2025 even as he continues to feature in the current campaign.

His career is closely tied to Celtic’s modern history, and his current status raises questions about what comes next.

Who is James Forrest? Career Profile and Background

James Forrest is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Celtic FC. He was born on 7 July 1991, which made him 34 during the 2025-26 season. ESPN and Transfermarkt list his height at 5 ft 7 in (1.75 m) and his weight at around 148 lbs.

Forrest’s entire senior career has been spent at Celtic, where he came through the youth system and became one of the club’s longest-serving first-team players, according to career summaries on Wikipedia.

James Forrest at a Glance

• Identity: Scottish footballer, born 7 July 1991, right winger, 5 ft 7 in (1.75 m)
• Club: Celtic FC, SPFL Premiership, active in the 2025-26 season
• Status: Returned to training in December 2025 after a six-match injury lay-off
• Career highlight: Long-serving Celtic career spanning over a decade; Martin O’Neill-era signing

Key Insights

• James Forrest is a veteran, one-club professional footballer at Celtic FC, still active in the 2025-26 season.
• At 34, he remains a squad contributor but is managing injury lay-offs.
• His career is deeply tied to Celtic’s modern history, with direct personal experience of the Martin O’Neill era.
• The December 2025 training return after a six-match absence is the most recent news hook.
• Contract status is a topic of interest, with interview coverage around his “last 18 months” and future.
• His 17 consecutive seasons scoring for Celtic places him level with Bobby Lennox.
• Available career stats show nearly 500 matches and 94 goals.

Fact File

What Team Does James Forrest Play For? Club Career at Celtic

Forrest plays for Celtic FC in Scotland’s SPFL Premiership. His official Celtic FC profile describes him as a long-serving first-team player, and he remains listed in the squad for the 2025-26 season.

His connection to the club goes back to childhood. The Daily Record reported in November 2025 that Forrest first signed for Celtic the same year Martin O’Neill’s revolution began at Parkhead. O’Neill managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, so Forrest’s youth career developed inside one of the most successful periods in the club’s modern history.

How Long Has James Forrest Been at Celtic?

Forrest has been associated with Celtic since he was a child. He progressed through the club’s youth structure and broke into the first team around the 2009-10 period. He has remained at the club ever since, which makes him one of the longest-serving players in the current squad.

Along the way he has been part of significant success. Celtic’s profile notes his involvement in the club’s record eighth domestic treble in 2022/23 and the Scottish Cup and league double in 2023/24. The 2025-26 Celtic F.C. season page also lists him as part of the squad.

How Many Appearances Has James Forrest Made for Celtic?

FootyStats lists 497 matches, 94 goals and 70 assists across Forrest’s career. Since his senior career has been spent at Celtic, those figures serve as the closest available measure of his total contribution to the club. Individual stat providers may count appearances differently, so an exact all-competition total is hard to pin down from the published data.

What Are James Forrest’s Current Stats for 2025-26?

The 2025-26 Premiership figures for Forrest vary by source. Wikipedia’s season line shows 27 league appearances, 1 goal, 5 assists and 3 yellow cards. FootyStats, by contrast, lists 25 matches, 1 goal, 1 assist and 728 minutes played. ESPN also includes Forrest in Celtic’s 2025-26 statistical records.

What Are James Forrest’s Career Stats for Celtic?

Beyond the current season, Wikipedia’s 2024-25 line shows 23 league appearances, 1 goal and 2 assists. The career aggregate from FootyStats stands at 497 matches, 94 goals and 70 assists. The 2025-26 data indicate that Forrest has continued to feature in both league and domestic cup competitions.

When Did James Forrest Return to Training? Injury Update

BBC Sport reported on 11 December 2025 that Forrest had been spotted in training after missing Celtic’s previous six matches. The report described the winger’s return to the training ground as the first clear sign that his lay-off was coming to an end.

What Injury Did James Forrest Have?

The specific injury has not been confirmed in the sources reviewed. Flashscore’s player page includes an injury history section for Forrest that documents past absences, but the details of this particular lay-off are not specified in the available summaries.

How Many Matches Did James Forrest Miss?

Forrest missed six matches before returning to training, according to the BBC. No confirmed date for his return to competitive action has been published in the sources reviewed.

What Did James Forrest Say About Martin O’Neill?

The Daily Record published a retrospection on 2 November 2025 in which Forrest reflected on Martin O’Neill’s first Celtic meeting. According to the report, Forrest first signed for Celtic the same year the O’Neill era began at Parkhead, a period that reshaped the club and produced considerable success between 2000 and 2005.

Forrest’s direct quotes from the interview are not reproduced in the publicly available summaries, but the reporting makes clear that O’Neill’s arrival was a defining moment in his early years at the club.

What Is James Forrest’s Contract Situation and Future at Celtic?

Celtic’s official player profile for Forrest says he signed a contract extension with the club until the summer of 2025. That description sits alongside his continued involvement in the 2025-26 season, which suggests his stay at Celtic has continued beyond the date listed in the club’s bio.

A short video interview titled “James Forrest on the last 18 months and his future” also appeared in search results, although the clip itself was unavailable. Celtic News Now, which tracks his data and season progress, continues to list him among the club’s active players.

When Did Key Moments in James Forrest’s Celtic Career Take Place?

1. Around 2000: Forrest first signed for Celtic as a youth player, in the same year Martin O’Neill began his tenure as manager, according to the Daily Record.
2. Around 2009-10: He broke into Celtic’s first team, beginning a senior career that would span more than a decade.
3. 2021-22: Transfermarkt records detailed statistics for the season, confirming his continued role in the squad.
4. 2022-23: He was part of Celtic’s record eighth domestic treble, per his club profile.
5. 2023-24: He added a Scottish Cup and league double, per his club profile.
6. 2024-25: Wikipedia’s league data show 23 appearances, 1 goal and 2 assists.
7. 2 November 2025: The Daily Record publishes its retrospective feature on Forrest’s memories of Martin O’Neill.
8. 11 December 2025: BBC Sport reports Forrest was back in training after missing six matches.

What Is Confirmed and What Remains Unclear About James Forrest?

Several details about Forrest’s career are firmly established, while others remain open. The table below separates the two.

What Does James Forrest’s Long Celtic Career Represent?

Forrest’s trajectory is closely tied to Celtic’s modern history. Having been at the club since childhood, he has experienced the transition from the Martin O’Neill era through subsequent managerial regimes, making him a rare link between different generations of the club’s success.

His scoring run of 17 consecutive seasons places him alongside Bobby Lennox and ahead of Paul McStay and Jimmy McGrory, two of the most celebrated names in Celtic’s history. His continued presence in the 2025-26 squad means he remains a visible connection to those earlier periods.

Forrest’s Scottish nationality is well established across major player databases, and he is tracked on international football pages such as National Football Teams. For a wider view of how careers in Scottish football can develop, the profile of former Celtic player Jeremie Frimpong – Career Stats Transfer and Personal Life provides a useful comparison.

Where Can You Verify James Forrest’s Career Details?

The main sources behind this profile include Celtic FC’s official website, Wikipedia, FootyStats, ESPN, BBC Sport, Flashscore, Transfermarkt and the Daily Record. Where statistics conflict, the differences are noted in the relevant sections above.

“Winger James Forrest, 34, has been spotted in training after missing Celtic’s past six matches.”

BBC Sport, 11 December 2025

“James Forrest first signed for Celtic the same year as the Martin O’Neill revolution kicked in at Parkhead.”

Daily Record, 2 November 2025

“Date of birth/Age: 07/07/1991 (35) · Citizenship: Scotland. Height: 1.75 m; Position: Right Winger.”

Transfermarkt player profile

What Is the Bottom Line on James Forrest in 2025-26?

James Forrest remains an active and established member of the Celtic squad in the 2025-26 season. His return to training in December 2025 suggests a return to match action is close, while his contract situation continues to generate discussion. With nearly 500 career appearances and goals in 17 straight seasons, his place among Celtic’s most consistent players is well secured. For a broader view of the game’s biggest names, see Football Players – Top Rankings and Famous Names for 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions