Liel Abada has praised the influence which James Forrest has on him with it being revealed that he has taken the 21-year old under his wing.
It’s easy to forget what age Abada is due to the level of maturity and performance he has produced since joining the Hoops last year.
He had a close bond with his fellow countryman Nir Bitton but with the midfielder having departed the Scottish champions in the summer, he needed someone else to fill the ‘big brother’ role.
Forrest marked his return to the Hoops starting eleven with a hat-trick at the weekend to become one of only 30 players in Celtic’s 134-year old year history to score 100 goals for the club.
Incredibly, Abada was only 8 years of age when the Celtic academy graduate first struck for the Hoops in his debut against Motherwell in 2010. He was full of praise for the 31-year old as both a player and a person as he opened up on their relationship together.
With both competing for the same position, the former Maccabi Petah Tikva winger is picking up hints and tips everyday during from the senior Celt as he hopes to hit the heights later in his career.
“Jamesy is a really good friend and he has been able to teach me so much. He has been at the club for a long time, has played a lot of games and scored a lot of goals,” said Liel Abada as quoted by the Daily Record.
“I can learn so much from him and I was so happy to see him score a hat-trick. I speak with him all the time and he gives me a lot of advice.
“What I admire most about him is his movement and technique and his finishing is good. I’m happy to have him as a team-mate and, hopefully, he can keep scoring for us because he deserves it.”
Many people asked questions when Forrest was handed a new deal, but following the 6-1 thrashing of Hibs Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou was full of praise for the Scotland international and believes there is still more to come.
He is playing a crucial part behind the scenes and has a wealth of experience which is important to have within the dressing room, especially at this time while captain Callum McGregor is out the side.
One of the most experienced previously was Nir Bitton who played a huge role in helping Abada settle in Scotland.
“Nir helped me a lot last year because it was my first time coming to Scotland and I didn’t speak English. I didn’t know the language but he always looked after me. It really helped me. We are still friends, we still speak via Facetime and I wish him all the best.”
