TOMMY BURNS handed James Forrest the chance to train with Aiden McGeady as a kid.
Celtic's new home-grown hero just wishes his mentor was still around to see him try and replace the Spartak Moscow star.
Burns first clapped eyes on Forrest when he went to see his own son play in an Under-9s tournament.
The Hoops' head of youth was convinced the winger was a star in the making.
Forrest will never forget the chances Burns gave him before tragically losing his battle with cancer two years ago.
Having Burns watching from the stands as he made his first-team breakthrough would have capped everything for the 19-year-old.
Forrest said: "Tommy was a big influence on me.
"He spotted me at an Under-9s tournament when my team got to the final then told me to come into Celtic for training the week after. I just loved working with him and I owe him so much.
"He was a great coach. He gave me so much support and advice. He used to keep me back in training and helped me do crossing.
"It was really exciting because I was just Under-17 and he'd ask me to join in with Jim O'Brien and Aiden McGeady.
"For a young boy it was a real buzz to get in with the first team for training.
"It's a big regret he wasn't around to see his faith in me repaid when I got into the first team."
Hoops boss Neil Lennon has handed Forrest the chance to shine since McGeady's £10million move to Russia.
But Forrest admits the first team looked a long way off two seasons ago when he underwent a double hernia operation that left him staring at eight months out.
He said: "It was murder. I didn't think back then I would be in the Celtic first team now. I just wanted to play football again.
"It was tough but I had to believe I'd get back and it was about being patient and it's paid off in the end."
Forrest's form landed him a call-up to the Scotland Under-21s squad for today's crunch qualifier in Belarus.
Four points from this game in Borisov and next Tuesday's final clash with Austria should see them through to the play-offs next month.
Forrest said: "I was buzzing to get the call-up to the Under-21s because I was in the squad for the friendly with Sweden but fell ill.
"It would be great to play in an Under-21 finals and would make up for the disappointment of not making the Under-19s finals in the summer.
"If someone had told me at the start of the season that I'd be playing in the Celtic first team and going away with the Scotland Under-21s I'd have been delighted."
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