Celtic have had a good pre-season and the start of the Premiership campaign is now less than a week away. The Hoops will take on Ross County at Parkhead this weekend on Flag Day. But before that, they have one more friendly game to play. It will be against the historic Spanish club, Athletic Bilbao, which is James Forrest’s Testimonial.
This is the most high-profile game of Celtic’s pre-season campaign this time around. And a good crowd is expected at Parkhead on Forrest’s big day.
Iker Muniain announced himself on the European stage more than a decade ago, when he shined against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side in the UEFA Europa League. Back then, most fans believed that the player was destined to join a big-name team in the future.
Yet, Muniain has stayed loyal to Athletic Bilbao and never left. He is 30 years of age and has already made more than 500 appearances for the club, establishing himself as a legend in the process. And he had only positive things to say about Celtic.
Athletic captain makes superb claim about Bilbao’s love for Celtic
As reported by The Herald, Muniain said about the Hoops:
"“Athletic Club and Celtic are both historic clubs with great stadiums and great fanbases. When you watch Athletic or Celtic, you are breathing football. Here in Bilbao, Celtic is a team that is quite loved by the people.”"
It will be very interesting to see how Celtic perform against Athletic Bilbao. They finished 8th in La Liga last season and The Hoops are coming off of a decent result against Wolves, having drawn 1-1 with the Premier League side.
With the game against Ross County just days away, this will be one last chance for several players to make an impression on Brendan Rodgers. Let’s see if there are any standout performers on the day.
At the end of the day, it is also a celebration of Forrest’s career. The Scot came through the youth ranks at the club to become a legend. In recent times, he might have struggled with form and fitness, but one can never forget what he has given to this team over the years.