James Forrest feels like he has never been away after making his Scotland comeback three years on from his previous appearance.
The Celtic winger started in Monday’s 2-0 Euro 2024 warm-up win over Gibraltar after being named in Steve Clarke’s provisional squad.
The 32-year-old last featured for Clarke in the previous European Championship finals before finding game time limited for his club.
However, his training performances convinced Brendan Rodgers to bring him back into the Celtic team in March and he showed the supporters what they had been missing with five goals in 10 matches to help the side to a league and cup double.
Thank you for your travelling support this evening 👏
➡️ We'll see you back at Hampden Park on Friday: https://t.co/lf8X0AQMpv pic.twitter.com/mJ5vpwRpHu
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 3, 2024
Clarke was similarly impressed and Forrest has slotted right back in to the international fold before winning his 39th cap in Portugal.
“Maybe Angus Gunn was the only player I didn’t know,” Forrest said. “After the first day, honestly it felt as though I hadn’t been away. I’ve known loads of the boys for years and it’s a really tight group. It just felt normal and it was good to get back training and playing.
“I have really enjoyed the first few days back in training and meeting up with the boys again and obviously I was delighted to play and start and be back involved.”
Doubts will hang over some of the players, with Steve Clarke needing to cut his squad down to 26 by midnight on Friday.
Forrest was among 28 listed before Lyndon Dykes suffered an ankle injury and there are other players nursing fitness issues.
Catch the action from our first @EURO2024 warm-up match, with full highlights of tonight's 2-0 win over Gibraltar. #GIBSCO pic.twitter.com/3jKaQgbjes
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 3, 2024
Having just got back into the squad, Forrest is not taking his place on the flight to Germany for granted.
“That’s down to the manager,” he said..” Myself and a few others, you just need to come away and enjoy it, give your best, and I think that’s all you can do. Then it’s up to the manager.
“I have not been in a camp for three years and I am getting a bit older as well, but I have really enjoyed my football for the last couple of months and was delighted to get the call-up and get another game for Scotland. I am just going to enjoy every day that I am here.
“Every Scottish player wants to go and be a part of it and obviously I am the same. Even though you are getting older, you still want to work hard and play for your national team as much as you can.
“As a professional player you want to play in the biggest games possible, you want to play in big stadiums against the best players, and I have managed to do that all my career.
“I am going to enjoy the next few days and when the manager makes his decision, I will get on with it.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here