Leigh Griffiths is back among the goals for Celtic.
Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths has sent two very strong messages to his critics.
The Hoops hitman was handed a rare start in Saturday’s Scottish Cup clash at Partick Thistle, but he made it count by scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 win.
As a celebration, Griffiths ran off and stuck an index finger in both ears to block out what he has been hearing about his Celtic future.
A number of pundits have questioned whether he has a role to play under Neil Lennon any longer following the arrival of striker Patryk Klimala in a £3.5 million deal this week.
Former Celtic man Davie Hay said via The Glasgow Evening Times on Saturday that he could see the 29-year-old leaving Parkhead as a result of Klimala’s arrival.
But Griffiths’s goal celebration was a clear message to those that doubt him – and he’s just sent another one, this time in words.
He told Premier Sports after the win at Firhill: “There are a lot of pundits and ex-pros who think my time at Celtic is finished. But that’s a message to them. The only way I can shut them up is by scoring goals and playing well. I’ve had to bite my tongue, I’m not going to lie. I keep seeing and reading the same stuff on social media, or I get sent the same things.”
This is a player who scored 40 goals for Celtic during the 2015-16 campaign and if Lennon can get him scoring then it’s ominous for Klimala.
The 21-year-old might have a bright future, but Griffiths is another animal compared to virtually every other striker in Scotland on his day – even including Odsonne Edouard, the Bhoys’ first-choice hitman.
He is spoken like a man determined to make up for lost time, and few would back against him doing just that.
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