Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths says Ange Postecoglou is "keen" to keep him

By Euan Davidson

June 23, 2021

Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has made some very interesting comments about Ange Postecoglou and his future at the club.

Speaking after Scotland’s disappointing Euro 2020 exit, there’s heightened rhetoric surrounding the striker. Some will claim that he could’ve made the difference against Croatia, or England. However, he wasn’t selected, and will need a massive season to prove people wrong once again.

Asked about his immediately future at Celtic, Griffiths told the BBC’s Euros Breakfast Show [08.24]:

“I’m fit.

“If you’re fit enough for the bench, you are fit enough to start. I was the one Celtic brought on to get a goal.

“The message coming out the club was that I wasn’t fit, but you’d have to ask the coaches at Celtic or Neil Lennon why they thought I wasn’t fit.

“I am not badly treated by the club. At times they didn’t give me enough chances last season. I am out-of-contract but the new manager is keen to keep me on.

“We are looking for a deal to be done and I hope it gets done in the next few days. It feels like a fresh start. He’s keen to work with me.”

Celtic players have a clean slate with Ange Postecoglou; time for Leigh Griffiths to take advantage

It’s been said a million times: we know how good Leigh Griffiths can be.

Off the back of a disappointing couple of seasons, wracked with fitness issues, mental illness and a significant drop in production, Griff knows he’s up against it yet again. However, he’s showing the right attitude in pre-season. Under a brand new manager, Griffiths knows his objective: score goals in pre-season, and get himself fit.

Leigh Griffiths celebrates a Celtic goal / (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It’s that simple. And while no, he may not be the main striker, he’ll be at least some competition on the bench. There are plenty of “ifs” and “buts” surrounding the Celtic striker, but Postecoglou is far better advised to at least take a look and see what Griffiths can bring to the team at this stage.

We know he’s not Pelé, but he’s proven that if the conditions are right for him, he’s able to score goals. Jettisoning him for nothing is a mistake, just as it would be ill-advised to suggest he’s better than Edouard, or should be fully relied upon to win matches this season.

His situation is an interesting one, to say the least. And if he has Ange’s blessing to stay on for another year on reasonable terms for the club, it doesn’t feel like something to get too up or down about.

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