James Forrest warns Celtic against complacency ahead of Hamilton clash

JAMES FORREST has stressed the importance of Celtic’s Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Hamilton on Friday night.

The Hoops winger enjoyed a “very good week” with Scotland after wins against Lithuania away and Malta at Hampden Park breathed life into their 2018 World Cup qualification hopes.

Forrest and the five other Celtic players in Gordon Strachan’s squad – and the rest of the internationals at the Parkhead club – returned to Glasgow where the attention is beginning to turn towards their Champions League campaign which begins with a home game against free-spending Paris St Germain next Tuesday night.

However, amid all the excitement there, first comes a less glamorous trek to the SuperSeal Stadium where Celtic will aim to bounce back from their last league outing, which saw them drop two points in a 1-1 home draw with St Johnstone, albeit the treble winners remain unbeaten domestically since May 2016.

Asked about the Accies game during a Lennoxtown press conference where the World Cup and Champions League dominated, Forrest said: “(It is) Maybe the most important (game) because you need to make sure you win the league and win league games to get that opportunity to play in the Champions League.

“We know we need to be strong, we need to be at it for the league games and if you are not, as you seen in the last game we drew at home to St Johnstone.

“So we need to be at it and be ready for the league games as well.”

Forrest knows and accepts that he faces renewed competition from 20-year-old Patrick Roberts, who has returned to Celtic Park for a second loan spell from Manchester City.

He said: “Obviously Paddy was here for 18 months before.

“A massive club like Celtic are always looking to make the squad stronger so it is good to have competition for places.

“Last year we both had spells and the manager changed it.

“It has started well for me this season and I just want to keep going and keep playing.

“But if you have two or three players at international level who can play each position, every player knows they will need to keep at it or they will not be playing.”