GUESS WHO’S BACK!

Griffiths refuses to be written off and snatches vital 3 points

YOU’D think people would have learned by now not to write off Leigh Griffiths.

When Celtic were looking flat, along came the forgotten forward to give them a spark.

It’s been seven months since he was last seen in action.

Griffiths helped fire Celts to nine in a row last year but when Neil Lennon slaughtered him for his condition after lockdown, it looked like the boss was calling time on Griff in the last chance saloon.

Not a chance. Griffiths has left Frank Sinatra i n his wake for comebacks and here was yet another.

Turgid and toiling, Celtic’s habit of grinding out wins looked to be finally coming a cropper until an old hero was thrown on to salvage the game.

That’s exactly what Griffiths did. He buried a brilliant header right at the death to fire the Hoops ahead in a game destined to end in a damaging draw.

Fellow sub Patr yk Klimala rattled a second against stunned Saints in stoppage time to dig the champions out of a hole.

Griffiths admits he is keen to make amend s for his time out.

He said: “I let myself down, my club down.

“I l et e v er y b o dy down. Hopefully I will do well in the next few games and start repaying them.

“It was a blow but it was my own fault and I had to take it on the chin.

“When the team was away I had worked hard to make sure I was still in the plans when I came back.

“I did that and managed to force my way back into the squad.

“Unfortunately for me I got injured just before the Hamilton game, which wasn’t ideal, and I have been working ever so hard to get back.”

Griffiths was written off by many for the millionth time but he insisted he always believed there was a way back.

When asked if he feared for his future, he said: “No. I spoke to the gaffer at length many times and he always said as long as he is here I will be here.

“I just need to keep working on my fitness and make sure that when I am called upon that I make an impact.

“Of course I have had motivation to get back it is but you need to keep working on the fitness, keep waiting for that break to come.

“I managed to get on the bench for the last three games now so I have done myself no harm now.

“I’ve got a chance over the next two weeks to get my fitness up to the same level as the boys and come back and kick on.”

Leigh Griffiths fires a late goal after coming on as sub – Celtic had struggled to create, top