Callum McGregor has put the Celtic board under pressure. In a recent interview, the captain said that they need to show ambition if they want him to stay, and James Forrest agrees.
After a lot of discussion over a potential move for the skipper to Saudi Arabia, he finally addressed the rumours just days after his manager made a statement.
He said: "We’ve already had that conversation [ with the board]. I’ve made my feelings known that I want to be here, so it’s kind of on the club.
"I’ve always been the same. I want to be at Celtic, as long as the club want me there and as long as the club’s ambition matches my own in terms of playing at the highest level.
"We have to continue to push and be as good as we can possibly be. I don’t want to sit here and be a Celtic captain who’s not winning anything. I’ve been very honest with everyone in that conversation. The people inside the club know it.
"If we’re not going to be the best version of Celtic, then I don’t want to be the guy who’s not winning any trophies. That’s not me and not who I am."
Most fans are in agreement that he's right, but others think he's throwing his toys out of the pram when things aren't going his way. That's a bit of a harsh assessment, but it's one that has been seen on social media.
However, hopefully the board can see his point of view because his teammates certainly do. Forrest, who recently signed a one-year contract extension that will likely see him end his career at Parkhead, has publicly backed the captain.
He said: "I think my time here, the club has always pushed for that. They have always tried to get signings and to get players in.
"I understand what Cal’s saying, he’s competitive, he wants to win things. He’s desperate. He lives and breathes Celtic. He loves it, and he wants the best for Celtic as well. I think that’s what he is saying, coming from a good place.
"As I said, everyone backs what he is saying. I think everyone at the club, hopefully, from now until the end of the season, we stick together, and we can focus on next season."
'Everyone at the club' backs the message
According to Forrest, everyone at the club backs him. That likely includes the board, at least on paper. But it isn't good enough for them, the ones with the money, to just say it. They need to act on it, and they need to act now.
For too long, they haven't gotten the right players in or the right manager at the right time, as seen with Wilfried Nancy. That could all change this summer, and losing out on UEFA Champions League football this season should have been a wake-up call to them.
It's going to be a massive rebuild in the summer, with players likely to leave and many coming through the door. With three players signed up to new deals in the last two days, that gives us some security in different positions, but that doesn't mean that there isn't work to do.
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