Leeds United promotion-winner breaks silence on Blackburn celebration after ending 9-year goal wait

Former Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has explained the reason behind what looked to be a controversial celebration after scoring against Plymouth Argyle.

Forshaw opened the scoring on Saturday as his Blackburn Rovers side beat Plymouth 2-0, looping a wonderful finish over goalkeeper Conor Hazard for his first goal in almost nine years. The midfielder was playing for the Pilgrims as recently as last month before seeing his contract terminated, with the celebration appearing to rub salt in the wound of his former club.

The 33-year-old sprinted over towards the Plymouth dugout before standing with his arms out right in front of opposition manager Miron Muslic, with social media reaction suggesting it was a rather brazen dig aimed at his former club. But the one-time Leeds man took to social media to explain the real reason he headed towards that area of the stadium.

In a post on his Instagram story, Forshaw posted a picture of his children in the stands around that area, writing: “No bad intentions with the celebration and sorry for how it came across. This is where the family were sat behind the benches.’

And speaking with Blackburn’s media team post-match, the midfielder said: “On the celebration, my kids, especially my eldest, they’ve been on at me and have been asking if they’re going to see me score before I retire! The celebration was for him, who was sat up behind the dugout. My kids came today with my wife, my mum and my dad, so it was a nice moment because they’ve not seen me score in eight or nine years, whatever it is!”

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That nine-year goalless period included a five-year spell in which he failed to find the net at Leeds, having joined from Middlesbrough in 2018. Forshaw played 91 games for the Whites during some of the club’s best years in recent memory, being present for promotion under Marcelo Bielsa followed by a ninth-place Premier League finish the following campaign.

Spells at Norwich City and Plymouth brought no goals through a further two-year spell which finally ended on Saturday. Blackburn went on to dominate the game after Forshaw’s 55th-minute opener, eventually doubling their lead through Tyrhys Dolan to keep their strong play-off hopes alive.

Forshaw appeared to have angered a lot of Plymouth fans following the celebration but all was quickly cleared up. And Pilgrims manager Muslic admitted after full-time he has spoken with the former Leeds man.

“I have nothing but respect for Forshaw because he explained that behind us was his family, his sons,” Muslic told the Lancashire Telegraph. “I respect that and if I had scored that beautiful goal, I would go to my family celebrating. He is a top professional and there is nothing but respect. He told me this and for me, the story was done in a millisecond. We hugged each other and moved on.”