JAMES FORREST is priceless to Celtic according to his manager Neil Lennon, but if the winger was available on the open market, he reckons you could start the bidding at £25m.
Forrest scored Celtic's second goal in their 2-0 win over St Mirren to cap off a memorable day for him, having signed a four-year extension to his contract earlier in the afternoon.
"James was brilliant," Lennon said.
"We gave him a new deal and I don't care how much money we pay...he's priceless to me.
"What would he cost? A goalscoring winger who has been doing it consistently for 10 years and won treble Player of the Year awards.
"You'd start the bidding at £25m. That's what I would ask for anyway.
"But he's not going anywhere - we've got him secure and he's happy.
"I'm sure there has been interest in him but James has never wanted to leave.
"To have him his pleasing and that will settle him down and hopefully he will continue with his consistency.
"He is inventive and that's him got ten goals already this season. That's an amazing return.
"You saw his quality, scored a brilliant goal and was exceptional.
"James is in his peak years and is part of a front four that can be devastating when they turn it on."
St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin was happy with his side's showing in defeat, and thinks that the best is yet to come from his men following the first round of fixtures.
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“The boys, in terms of being disciplined and hard to beat, have been excellent," he said. "We’ve had plaudits for that and we won’t be judged on this. No-one expects you to pick up anything.
“I genuinely felt we could take a point before the game and it would have been a massive one given the levels Celtic have been at, so to be in the game as long as we were was pleasing.
“But the bottom line is we’ll be judged on other games. Celtic and Rangers are out in front, but I don’t think there is much between the rest of us.”
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