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In a potentially historic season for Celtic and Scotland, Leigh Griffiths should be a go-to guy up front. Instead, he risks becoming the forgotten man.
The striker turns 30 today, a milestone at which many of his contemporaries perform at the peak of their powers.
But with Griffiths’ future clouded in uncertainty and his commitment under scrutiny, what now for the enigmatic forward?
Make or break time at Celtic
In Celtic’s final game of the curtailed 2019-20 campaign in March, a Griffiths hat-trick propelled them to a 5-0 thumping of St Mirren.
The striker’s smile, and swagger, were back. His transition back into the starting XI since the turn of the year, after months out dealing with mental health and fitness issues, had been a success.
All seemed well, yet Griffiths’ standards slipped as he returned out of shape for pre-season this summer, incurring the wrath of manager Neil Lennon, who left him behind for the training camp in France.
Despite getting himself into “great condition”, the doubts linger. A calf injury has deprived Griffiths of an appearance in Celtic’s opening three games, and off-field controversy is seldom far away.
After 115 goals in 233 appearances since moving to Celtic in January 2014, make or break time beckons for Griffiths’ Parkhead career.
“Leigh has got to realise what a chance he’s got. Celtic have had to put up with a lot,” says former Scotland talisman and assistant James McFadden.
“He’s had well-documented problems, but when he came back in last season he was a better player. He had more to his game, his link-up play was excellent, he had a brilliant partnership with Odsonne Edouard – they were unplayable at times.
“He needs to get back to that, and I really hope he does. He’s a terrific player, brilliant natural ability and offers something different.”
‘Perhaps he should go on loan’
With an unprecedented 10th successive title on the line, Celtic have precious little scope for unreliability. Lennon has restocked his forward line with the £.4.5m signing of Albian Ajeti, while the progress of bulked-up £3.5m January recruit Patryk Klimala provides another obstacle to overcome.
Ajeti was given his debut off the bench on Tuesday night as Celtic began their Champions League qualifying campaign on Tuesday with a 6-0 rout of KR Reykjavik.
“This is the biggest challenge of Leigh’s career,” says former Scotland striker Billy Dodds, who coached Griffiths at Dundee a decade ago.
“You’ve got to admire him for the number of strikers he has seen off at Celtic. He just keeps proving himself. But you fear with Ajeti and Klimala as well as Edouard, it’s now a step too far for him.
“He’s at an age now where the muscle strains are happening more regularly. But I wouldn’t put it past him to train like a demon, get back in the team and score the goals to keep him there.”
Pat Bonner, who served Celtic for 20 years as a goalkeeper, feels a spell away may be the solution.
“Leigh needs to focus, tune in, get fit and out to play somewhere,” says Bonner. “Perhaps he should go out on loan just to get some match time.
“He’s 30, so he’s got another four or five years as a professional career.”
‘Scotland’s best natural finisher’
Griffiths should have been the top-class striker Scotland have needed for years.
When he pinged in a couple of exquisite free-kicks in the 2-2 draw with England three years ago, he seemed to be taking on that mantle.
Yet those two strikes account for half of Griffiths’ Scotland goal haul. And next month will mark two years since the last of his 19 caps, a total which hints at unfulfilled promise.
“That tells you the story. He has delivered on his talent, but not regularly enough,” says Dodds.
“He is the best natural finisher Scotland have. When he’s fit, focused and playing every week – like he was at the tail-end of last season – he’s such an asset to the national team.”
Scotland return to action in September with a Nations League double-header, but it’s the Euro 2020 play-off the following month that is occupying supporters’ minds.
Defeat the Austrians, and then Norway or Serbia, and the country’s 23-year wait for a major finals will be over. They could certainly be doing with a lethal striker for such seismic fixtures.
“Scotland are definitely a better team with Griffiths in it,” says Dodds. “He could have been the difference between Scotland qualifying or not.
“A fit and firing Griffiths would give Scotland a better chance. But you need him playing regularly for Celtic before he can start for Scotland.”
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