Leigh Griffiths

He didn't seem wanted by Rodgers really. I think he will come out wanting to show Lenny he still has it and Lenny is a manager that will give him the opportunity to show it

 

Think Lenny did great with Leigh first time around. Think the wee man will have a good season next season

 

Didn't he get a new contract under Rodgers?

 

He never played him much. Never saw much confidence in him as 1st choice. The only other striker was Eddy, what choice was there.

 

Best natural striker at the club.

 

Be good to see him fully firing, healthy mentally and injury free..

 

Can see him been one of the top performers under Lennon.

He will be like a new signing imo.

Will be great to have him back and fit and finally have another option up front to take the pressure of Edouard who has been fantastic but needs help. The extra competition will do both the world of good.

 

He is Essential for us so many games he nicks us a goal ..he simply is a goal machine ....plus he no too bad at free kicks also

 

Bulked up and get yer self
Focused wee man big season next year!

 

Would like this at home games next season

Bain

New Rb
Ajer
Jozo / New CB
Kt

Forrest
McGregor
Christie
Shved

Thumb
Eddy

 

Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths is "on the home straight" in his recovery from personal issues and is looking forward to returning next season.

The 28-year-old Scotland striker has not played since a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock on 8 December.

After an extended break, Griffiths is targeting the start of pre-season training on 17 June.

"It has been a tough few months, training myself, double sessions nearly every day," he told Celtic TV.

"But I'm on the home straight now and not long to go before pre-season. I'm hoping to come back a lot fitter than I have done in previous starts to the campaign.

"Being in the gym nearly every day gives me that platform to get fitter and when I come back I will be raring to go."

Griffiths joined Celtic from Wolves in January 2014 and in August last year he netted his 100th goal for the Scottish champions.

In September, he signed a new deal, extending his contract until the summer of 2022.

"Football has been my life," he said. "It was frustrating being off but my big focus was to come back mentally and physically stronger.

"I'm buzzing to get back among the boys and start playing my football again.

"From where I was in December to now is night and day, so hopefully when I pull that jersey on and step onto the pitch I will be firing on all cylinders."

 

LEIGH Griffiths said he cannot wait to start working under Neil Lennon again after the summer break as the Celtic striker explained that he is on track to arrive for pre-season in the best shape of his career.

Neil Lennon brought Griffiths to Paradise in January 2014, and the pair will rekindle their working relationship when the Treble Treble winners return to training next month.

“I’m looking forward to getting back,” Griffiths told the official Celtic website. “I have a fresh start next season with the new manager so I’m excited.

“Neil’s a brilliant manager and I can’t wait to start working with him and the rest of lads in a few weeks’ time. Neil signed me for Celtic just over five years ago and I'll always be grateful to him for that. I enjoyed working with him in the past and I’m excited about continuing that.

“Neil’s done a brilliant job since he’s come back. He’s done exactly what’s expected of him. No one expected anything less, to be honest. It was a sudden departure with Brendan leaving, but given Neil’s stature at the club, and what he’s achieved before, there was no hesitation in giving him the platform to make us treble champions again.”

The Celtic squad will return to Lennoxtown on June 17 for training before flying out to Austria later in the month for their pre-season camp.

But Griffiths is already hard at work at the Lennoxtown training centre. He has been out of action since December, but he began an individual training programme in March to ensure he would hit the ground running ahead of the new season.

The 28-year-old will resume training with the full squad when they return from the summer break and he said he is on track to report to duty in the best shape of his career.

“I’m feeling physically stronger and mentally stronger,” he said. “I came back in and I wasn’t in the condition I wanted to be. I had been out since December so I had a lot of work to do.

“The sports science team here is top drawer and I owe a special mention to John Currie, who has worked with me day-in and day-out. He goes above and beyond and he can see how much I’ve changed and how much my fitness has improved. The work I’m doing now with Scott Breddy has been great too. Both of them have been top drawer and I owe them a big thank you.

“The way I’ve been training, and what I’m doing just now, will have me fitter than I have been in the past. It’s about maintaining that fitness throughout pre-season and making sure I do everything right.

"The hunger is probably greater now than it ever has been. The difference between where I was in December to where I am now has been night and day. Hopefully, when I pull the jersey back on and step back on to the pitch, I’ll be firing on all cylinders

 

Our corners and free kicks are diabolical without Leigh in the team. Can't wait to see him back on the pitch, banging the goals in again. As @_DannyBhoy_ said he'll be like a new signings for us, and what a player to have as an option...

 

A fast RB and a CB who can carry the ball forward to replace Jozo and that team would romp the league imo.

 

Loving that team and yet doesn't require huge changes from current.

 

I think he is going to come back more hungry for being a scoring hard working Bhoy than ever!!!

 

Good point we are not much of a threat from free kicks and even less threat off corners right now so Griffiths should improve us in both of those areas next season for sure.

 

Scotland boss Steve Clarke says he can’t wait to see troubled Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths back in a dark blue shirt.

The Parkhead frontman – who became a national hero with two iconic goals against England at Hampden in 2017 – hasn’t kicked a ball since December.


Fitness issues and off-field problems wrecked Griffiths’ season but he’s vowed to be back firing again next term.

And new national team gaffer Clarke admits he’d love to be able to pick the 28-year-old Celticforward.

Griffiths has 19 caps and four goals for his country and Clarke said: “I read some quotes from Leigh where he said he’s hoping to be back for pre-season.


Fitness issues and off-field problems wrecked Griffiths’ season but he’s vowed to be back firing again next term.

And new national team gaffer Clarke admits he’d love to be able to pick the 28-year-old Celticforward.

Griffiths has 19 caps and four goals for his country and Clarke said: “I read some quotes from Leigh where he said he’s hoping to be back for pre-season.

“It would be good to have somebody of his ability back.



“We need to let Celtic deal with Leigh’s situation right now. The most important thing for him is that he gets himself fit and well.


Once he’s health then we can start talking abut the football side of things. But he has to be healthy first.”

Clarke is short of strikers for his first games in charge, the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Belgium.


The likes of Steven Fletcher, Oli McBurnie are missing while Clarke revealed he’s already told experienced Hearts forward Steven Naismith will be part of the plans.

He said: “I had a good chat with Steven. He was in at Hampden so came into the office and we had a good talk.

“He’s one who would be good for us and he’s champing at the bit to get playing again.


Hopefully he has a good summer and pre-season than he can be part of the future.”

 

NEIL Lennon has predicted the return of striker Leigh Griffiths next season will be like Celtic signing a £6 million player.

But Lennon has told the forward he is expecting him to repay the Parkhead club for standing by him while he addressed personal issues - with goals.

Griffiths was given time out of the game back in December and didn’t feature in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.

The 28-year-old, who has netted 104 times in the five-and-a-half seasons he has spent in the East End of Glasgow, returned to training at Lennoxtown in March.


Lennon has been pleased with the progress the Scotland internationalist has made and is hopeful he will be available for selection once again next term.

The Northern Irishman, who was unveiled as Celtic manager on Friday, is set to strengthen his squad in the coming weeks by making several new signings.

He is keen to increase his options up front in the summer as Odsonne Edouard was the only specialist striker he had available to him after taking over from Brendan Rodgers in February.

However, he feels having Griffiths, who he signed from Wolves for £1 million back in 2014 during his first spell in charge, involved again will be akin to bringing in a big money transfer.

“It will be like a new signing,” said Lennon. “He’ll need to get up to speed with his conditioning. He’s working hard and we’ll see where he is football wise.

“We could have a £6 million striker on our hands for nothing. He’s missed the last 18 months and he’ll need to knuckle down, but he’ll have our full support.”

But he added: “Leigh’s had the club’s full support throughout this so it’s payback time. He’s good at what he does. He scores goals and we want to see him back doing what he does best.”