Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths is back to full fitness having been out of action since his appearance in the 3-1 win against Hearts back on August 25.
The 29-year-old scored twice during Celtic Reserves’ dominant 6-0 win in a friendly against Stenhousemuir at Lennoxtown during the week, and he came on for the last 22 minutes of yesterday’s 4-0 Premiership win against Livingston.
Griffiths’ return is a welcome boost for manager Neil Lennon as Celtic and Rangers engage in a neck and neck battle at the top of the Premiership, and former Celtic star and Sky Sports pundit Davie Provan hopes he can start firing on all cylinders soon.
Provan has urged the Hoops hero to emulate Rangers striker Jermain Defoe – who hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down since his arrival at Ibrox in January – if he wants to keep having an impact at his age and going forward.
“A fit Griffiths would be priceless for Celtic heading towards the business end of the season. Right now Celts are a hostage of Odsonne Edouard’s fitness. An injury to the young Frenchman will leave Lennon seriously short up front,” the Sky Sports pundit told The Scottish Sun.
“If he looks across the city he’ll see Jermain Defoe still playing at 37. That doesn’t happen by accident, only by slavish dedication to the job. Does Griffiths have that in him? He has already written his chapter in Celtic history. Anyone getting to 50 goals in fewer games than Henrik Larsson has achieved something special.
“But he can either make an ignominious exit from the club or prove his doubters wrong again. Given what he’s come through, getting up to match fitness should be a breeze for him if he still has the appetite. With this season’s title race shaping up to be a nerve shredder, he couldn’t ask for a better incentive.”
Defoe currently tops the Scottish Premiership goal charts with 10 strikes in 12 appearances, and is playing a huge role in Rangers’ title bid.
The Englishman has been playing for 19 years, featuring for the likes of West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Toronto FC, Sunderland and AFC Bournemouth, and he isn’t close to hanging up his boots yet.
Griffiths definitely can learn a thing or two from the Light Blues man, and it will be interesting to see if the Celtic star can bounce back and return to top form after those rough couple of months.
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