Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths was recently linked with a move to Turkish outfit BB Erzurumspor. However, Griffiths has made it clear that he is going to stay at the Celtic Park and laughed off the speculation linking him with the move. His willingness to stay at Celtic despite the competition for a place in Brendan Rodgers’ starting line-up should come as a huge relief for the Celtic fans.
Griffiths started his senior career with Livingston and then moved to Dundee. In the January transfer window of 2011, he moved to the ranks of Wolverhampton Wanderers and while he was in the books of the Wolves, he garnered a loan spell with Hibernian. Eventually, he gave his consent and signed for Celtic in January 2014 and has been a vital member of the club since.
The Scottish international smashed 9 goals in 25 appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Celts last season, 14 of which were introductions off the bench. He proved to be a handy asset for Rodgers and helped the former Liverpool manager’s side in clinching the domestic treble. Besides, he also found the back of the net once in the Champions League.
A warrior at heart with sheer predatory instincts on offer, Griffiths is a stupendous centre-forward and has truckloads of experience under his belt. He is thoroughly acclimatized with Scottish football and has worked really well under the tutelage of Rodgers. He has raw pace in his legs and knows exactly where the goal is and there is no denying that he has proven himself to be a regular goal-getter.
Last season, Odsonne Edouard was brought on loan from the ranks of Paris Saint-Germain and the French starlet made a mark for himself. He scored 11 goals in 29 appearances last term and more often than not, he dazzled for the Scottish giants. The Bhoys signed him permanently last month after Edouard agreed to a four-year deal. However, a major chunk of the football fraternity have seen this deal as detrimental to the interest of Griffiths.
With the availability of Moussa Dembele and Edouard, Griffiths is expected to be the third choice striker during the 2018-19 campaign. However, the 27-year-old is apparently ready for the challenge to seal a place in the starting XI for the Hoops. Griffiths is under contract with the Scottish champions until 2021 and for Celtic, it is important to keep hold of their veteran players so that they can better their credentials in the Champions League as well.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
