McALLISTER: JON DESERVES A CHANCE

Griffiths up for threeway fight as Hoops ace closes in on new deal

LEIGH Griffiths has revealed that he is close to penning a long-term deal to make him a Celtic player for life – and the striker has vowed to fight for his place at the club following the permanent arrival of Odsonne Edouard.

Griffiths is under contract until 2021 but could be the next player to be handed a bigger contract by the Parkhead club.

Tom Rogic and Kieran Tierney have both penned long-term deals of late while the Parkhead side shelled out a club record fee last week to secure the signing of Edouard on a four-year deal from Paris Saint-Germain.

“We are inching further forward on that,” said the striker when asked about his talks with the club. “We are about 85-per-cent done now. There’s just a couple of tweaks needed and then it will be done.

“I see my best years at Celtic. I’d like to get to 100 goals. If I don’t get to that mark next season then I may as well quit football. I need

two goals but it feels like I’ve not had the chance to get there.

“I’ve still got two and a bit years to go on my current deal. But the fact that they are even talking about a new contract gives me joy and delight that I am going to be here for basically the rest of my career. When it does get done and signed I will be delighted.”

Meanwhile, Griffiths has insisted that Celtic will be ready as they prepare to embark on a gruelling Champions League qualification campaign.

Brendan Rodgers’ side face a trip to Armenia to play Alashkert for the first leg of their first round qualifier with the return in Glasgow a week later. Should Celtic prevail they will potentially face Rosenborg.

With searing temperatures and a 5000-mile round trip awaiting for the opening tie against the Armenians, it will be a daunting start to the campaign.

“We will be prepared to go over there and do the job,” said Griffiths. “If we go through that one then we know that Rosenborg – if they get through – will be tough.

“It seems like we always get thrown a difficult tie, whether it be the qualifying rounds or the group stage.

“We will just need to adapt to the conditions. It is a two-legged affair so the first-leg is important but we know that we are coming back to Celtic Park and the crowd behind us always gives us a boost.”