James Forrest, born in Prestwick on 7 July 1991 (age 35), is a Scotland international and right winger for Celtic, where he still wears squad number 49. His career is about as Celtic-defined as modern football allows: 369 league appearances, 74 league goals and 18 seasons in the first-team picture.
Forrest made an early impression by scoring on his first-team debut, and that was not a false start. He became a regular Celtic wide player over time rather than a passing prospect, with his best league return coming in 2018-19, when he scored 11 goals in 33 appearances.
His medal haul gives the career its proper scale. Forrest has won 13 Premiership titles, six League Cups and six Scottish Cups with Celtic, a record built on durability as much as ability. There have been flashier players in the same period, but few have given the club so many useful years.
He remains part of the current Celtic squad. In 2026-27 he has made 15 appearances across all competitions, including seven in the league, two in the League Cup, five in the Scottish Cup and one in the Europa League. His current market value is around £255,000, according to Transfermarkt.
Forrest’s career is a rare long service story in the modern game: a Prestwick-born Scottish winger who broke through at Celtic, stayed, won heavily, and is still there. That is the plain shape of it, and it is enough.
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