GO AND GET THEM GRIFF

From Back Page Slovenia until he got injured. He missed the chance under the crossbar which was a surprise because I thought he would have scored.

“But Leigh gets more shots away than most other strikers. Eventually he’ll get a goal and, if he starts, it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets a goal on Saturday because he’s due one.

“He’s a resilient character and bounces back when things don’t go his way.

“He has had to change his attitude in the sense that he’s had to come to terms with the way it has been at Celtic for him recently.

“After scoring so many goals the season before and winning Player of the Year suddenly Moussa Dembele comes in and he’s had to play second fiddle at times.

“He has risen above that, rolled his sleeves up and shown Brendan Rodgers that he’s prepared to work to keep himself in his plans. He can only be a better player because of that.

“He has self-belief without being arrogant. He is realistic and knows he has had to work hard this year to keep himself in at Celtic.

“It would have been easy for him to chuck the towel in and then this summer Brendan would maybe have been thinking about offloading him. Instead Leigh has made himself an important part of the squad and he understands the way Brendan works.

“He has definitely improved – mentally he has gone up a gear.

“Now there would be no greater time for him to get that first goal than against England on Saturday.”

Former striker McGhee knows better than most how special that would be, having scored against the Auld Enemy in a 1-1 draw at Hampden in 1984.

It’s a moment he cherishes to this day as the highlight of a successful playing career with Aberdeen, Celtic, Newcastle and Hamburg.

McGhee added: “If I could swap scoring against England for another 50 caps then I would take the goal against them.

“I had wanted that chance to play against the English.

“I’d had a couple of games against Canada and Ireland but I had never been picked in an important game like that. Then I got my chance and took it.

“I’m satisfied with that. There is no better feeling for a Scottish footballer than scoring against England. Certainly in my football career there was no better feeling.

“Maybe after all that has happened to Leigh, this is his chance for glory.”