Brendan Rodgers has highlighted two of his home-grown heroes ahead of today’s clash with Astana.
On Saturday at Kilmarnock James Forrest and Callum McGregor scored the goals that mattered but much of the focus was on the assists from Tom Rogic.
Forrest and McGregor have each spent more than a decade at Celtic and pound for pound contributed as much as most to the successes under Rodgers with both having a track record that includes vital European goals.
Other players dominate the headlines and have their own songs but there’s no danger of Rodgers overlooking the contributions of his academy bhoys.
“When you play for a club this size you have to prove yourself all the time,” the Celtic boss explained to The Sun. “Whether you are a player or a manager, it never changes.
“I just think we get players that are under-valued and underrated a wee bit.
“You look at James Forrest in our side. I know he is in the Scotland squad, but he’s a player who I haven’t heard a song for yet, you know.
“These players are fantastic. OK, they are not sexy maybe, and they are not running up to the crowd and sliding on their knees and all that but James and Callum McGregor are good guys, very modest and very humble.
“They come in and do their job, and I can only talk about my time here, but those two boys have been brilliant for me.”
The hoops boss added; “With the likes of McGregor and the situation over the international squad, sometimes that’s just the way it is.
“You saw it in the past with international teams that there are some players who maybe just don’t make the squads, while others are always there.
“But we always have to respect Gordon Strachan. He is the manager, he sees the players, he goes around the clubs, sees them play, and sees them perform.
“Sometimes it’s about the dynamics of their group. Gordon has had a group over the last 12 months that have maybe got close, and sometimes it’s hard to change that but if you are talking about footballing qualities then Callum should definitely be in the squad.”
Forrest made a scoring debut for Celtic in 2010 when Neil Lennon was caretaker manager after the departure of Tony Mowbray.
McGregor also scored on his debut, away to KR Reykjavik in Ronny Deila’s first match in charge of the club with both players expected to be heavily involved in today’s Champions League Play Off against Astana.
