Celtic face Linfield in the first-leg of their Champions League second-qualifying round tie.
Ronny Deila has backed Leigh Griffiths to be the man who inspires Celtic during their push to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, The Scottish Sun reports.
Brendan Rodgers’ men begin their campaign with a second-qualifying round tie with Linfield on Friday. And while they know full well that a defeat in one leg does not kill a tie, the Hoops will surely be looking to make a statement with an emphatic win ahead of the second-leg.
Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths
And Deila – who could only take the Bhoys to the play-off stage of the competition in both of his seasons in charge of the side – has suggested that it is Griffiths who Rodgers should look to to ensure that their run goes as smoothly as possible.
“Leigh can score goals in Europe for Celtic,” he told The Scottish Sun.
“He showed that during my time and again last season for Brendan.
“You remember the goals against Malmo and also Fenerbahce.
“He is a goalscorer and it doesn’t matter what level Leigh plays at — he is a finisher.”
It is certainly no surprise that Deila is backing Griffiths to be a key man for Celtic, as it was under the Norwegian that the 26-year-old enjoyed his two best seasons for the Hoops.
In 91 games in all competitions, he scored 60 goals, including 40 during the 2015/16 campaign. Unfortunately for the former Wolves man, Moussa Dembele’s emergence has meant that he has played a slightly more peripheral role in recent times – starting just 15 times in the Scottish Premiership last season.
But Deila is clearly confident that if Rodgers is without Dembele for any reason, he has the perfect alternative option waiting in the wings.
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