In news which won’t really be much of a shock to those that have seen him play this season, Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has been named in the Scotland squad for the upcoming triple header against Serbia, Slovakia and Israel.
Griffiths is one of four Celtic players in the squad, alongside Greg Taylor, Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie. It is Griffiths who will be getting the most attention though, as if he features in any of the games it will be his first international appearance since September 2018, that is more than two years ago.
It is easy to see why manager Steve Clarke has recalled Griffiths to the side. For a start, he has performed well for Celtic since returning to the side this season. You only need to look at his recent goal against Aberdeen for an example of that.
Biggest game for national team in years
There is also the fact that the first game of the three, against Serbia in the Euro 2020 play-off final, is Scotland’s biggest game in years. The chances of Scotland getting the win are much improved if Griffiths is on the pitch.
Ironically, Griffiths might not start either of Celtic’s games before he heads off on international duty. For the game against Sparta Prague on Thursday, it seems likely that Odsonne Edouard will get the nod to start that game.
The same is probably true for Celtic’s game against Motherwell on Sunday. However, expect Griffiths to be a more than useful option off the bench.
That is what Griffiths might end up being for Scotland. However, even off the bench he can be a key man for the national team.
Some Scotland fans on social media were quick to respond to the news that Griffiths was back in the Scotland squad.
“We actually have a decent striker”
One fan said that the squad was 100 times better with the inclusion of the Celtic star. Another fan claimed to be ‘delighted’ for the striker.
Here are some of the best reaction from Twitter to Griffiths’ return to the national side:
In other news, Tom Rogic turning down a move to Qatar could be a defining moment in Celtic’s season.
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