Swansea City forward Oli McBurnie says Leigh Griffiths is a “great player” and hopes he’ll soon return to the Scotland national team.
The Celtic striker recently withdrew from international duty and has risked the wrath of manager Alex McLeish and perhaps a selection of teammates, but McBurnie would prefer to see Griffiths back in the team and said it’s “disappointing” that he’s currently absent.
As per The Sun, the 22-year-old said: “It’s disappointing for the squad not having Leigh here. He’s a great player. But in terms of my personal gain, it’s an opportunity for me. Hopefully it’s one I can take with both hands.”
McBurnie has made six caps for Scotland and is yet to score. With Griffiths out of the picture, he stands to add to his appearance tally and could be a regular in attack if he impresses. Griffiths has only scored four goals in 19 games for the national, so he’s hardly been prolific either.
The Celtic man’s form this season has been inconsistent too. He’s bagged an impressive four goals in six games in the Europa League and League Cup, but the former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker has managed just one league in eight.
Scotland are in bad shape of late, having lost 2-1 to Israel in the Nations League and following it up with a 3-1 friendly defeat to Portugal. McLeish needs his best players to turn things round, but Griffiths’ national future could be up in the air after his withdrawal from duty.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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