Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths withdrew from Scotland duty last week and now Rangers’ Kyle Lafferty has done the same for Northern Ireland.
Leigh Griffiths’ decision to withdraw from the Scotland squad ahead of the international break did not go down well with many north of the border.
Celtic’s number nine was included in Alex McLeish’s 23-man roster ahead of the clashes against Israel and Portugal but stepped aside, claiming that he wanted to ‘focus on my fitness’ as reported by The Telegraph.
And, despite being backed by a number of ex-players and even McLeish himself, this has not saved Griffiths from been subjected to criticism from a number of Scotland supporters.
But, just a few days later, his Rangers counterpart Kyle Lafferty has taken almost identical action. As reported by the BBC, Lafferty contacted Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neil to make himself unavailable for the upcoming fixtures, a decision which left the 49-year-old disappointed.
And Celtic fans have now taken to Twitter to make a point to the Rangers fans who questioned Griffith’s decision to withdraw from Scotland duty.
As reported by The Herald, Lafferty has insisted that he has done a lot of work on improving his fitness since returning to Rangers from Hearts in the summer. So no doubt he is using his break to ensure his impressive form at Ibrox continues.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
