Celtic have made a mistake with James Forrest contract extension, evidence vs Falkirk has proved it already

Celtic may already be regretting their decision to hand veteran winger James Forrest a new contract after their 3-1 win over Falkirk on Saturday.

The 34-year-old was handed a new one-year extension earlier this week to keep him at Celtic Park until the end of next season, a decision which brought a period of speculation regarding his future to an end.

The wideman has been operating in a significantly reduced role for his boyhood club this term, as he earned just his second start in 2026 in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

A double from Daizen Maeda came either side of Kieran Tierney’s strike to give Martin O’Neill’s men another crucial three points in their pursuit of the league title.

However, Celtic’s victory over Falkirk largely passed Forrest by on the right wing, and that is sure to have attracted attention from the club hierarchy.

James Forrest totally ineffective for Celtic in win vs Falkirk

Forrest has been a fantastic servant for the Bhoys over the years, but it has become increasingly clear this season that his influence on the team has begun to wane.

He has managed just two league starts across the entire campaign, and unfortunately, looks a far cry from the player who once terrorised opposition defences on a weekly basis.

O’Neill handed him a rare chance to impress in Celtic’s opening post-league split fixture on Saturday, but he failed to take that opportunity, as he struggled to make an impact on the game.

Forrest failed to register a single shot or create a chance during his 62 minutes on the pitch, while he also failed to complete a successful dribble.

It was a poor performance from the veteran and yet more proof that Celtic have got plenty of stronger options than him at this point in his career.

The fact that he struggled so badly against the lowest-ranking team in the top half of the league split also shows that he no longer has what it takes to perform for Celtic at the highest level, and extending his stay was a mistake.

Why did Celtic hand Forrest a new deal?

Football Insider revealed at the end of January that Celtic were effectively happy for Forrest to decide his own future at the club, given the quality service that he has given them over the years.

The 2025-26 campaign has been his 17th year as a professional at Parkhead, but the board were happy to let him move if he wanted to move in search of more gametime this summer.

However, they were also willing to oblige if he wanted one more year in the green and white hoops, and that is seemingly the outcome that Forrest decided for himself.

Celtic have shown commitment to ensure that their club legend has been treated with the utmost respect during what are likely to be the final stages of his career.

With that in mind, while a new deal may have been a mistake in a footballing and business sense, on a personal level it is an easy decision to explain.

The post Celtic have made a mistake with James Forrest contract extension, evidence vs Falkirk has proved it already appeared first on Football Insider.