I HAD TO TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK AT MYSELF BECAUSE I WAS A DISGRACE WHEN I CAME BACK AFTER LOCKDOWN
GRIFFITHS IS DRIVEN TO MAKE AMENDS FOR FITNESS FAILURE
IN order to impact the future, Leigh Griffiths believes it’s imperative not to lose sight of the past. Overweight and out of shape when he emerged from lockdown, the striker was left out of the Celtic squad that travelled to France in pre-season.
The cumulative effect of not doing the necessary fitness work on his own when trusted to do so was being left on the sidelines as his team’s season stalled.
The 30-year-old feels a profound sense of guilt at not being able to start a domestic match until December 23. He will now use it as his driving force to atone.
‘I had to take a long hard look at myself because I was a disgrace when I came back,’ he said.
‘Well, when I say a disgrace, I wasn’t because when I left in March and came back I was only 2.5kg over what I was before. But I wasn’t as fit as I should have been.
‘That’s down to me and my professionalism. I take that on the chin.
‘I’ve been slaughtered for that publicly and in-house.
‘I took it on the chin, went away and worked extremely hard. Then I had a couple of injuries.
‘But now you’ve seen since I came back that I’ve played well, tried to link up with Odsonne (Edouard) as much as I could and we’re winning games, albeit the Rangers game was a bit disappointing.
‘But before that we were playing well, winning games and winning them comfortably.’
Asked to compare his fitness now with the outset of the campaign and his answer is blunt.
‘Night and day,’ he replied. ‘I think the manager would say that as well.
‘It was just about getting that consistent run of games.
‘I let myself down. I let everybody down. But I’m trying to repay them bit by bit by helping the team, scoring goals and getting the team three points.’
Last summer’s episode wasn’t the first transgression to pockmark the career of a supremely talented individual.
Given Griffiths’ seemingly magnetic attraction for trouble, it was not unreasonable to think it might have ended his time as a Celtic player. He remains adamant the thought didn’t cross his mind.
‘No, because in my heart of hearts I knew that if I knuckled down and got myself back to where I was in January, February time, then I knew I’d be okay,’ he said. ‘It was just about going away and working hard.’
Handed his own fitness plan at Lennoxtown while the squad were in France was hardly a good look.
And given the self-inflicted nature of it all, words of support from those in the game at that time were pretty thin on the ground.
Griffiths accepted most of the flak that flew his way but felt that some of it went over the top — even smacking of opportunism.
‘I’ve been criticised for a number of months by ex- players and ex-managers who all want to give their tuppenceworth,’ he said. ‘But they weren’t saying that when I was playing and scoring goals.
‘ I think a few ex- players are jealous of what I’ve achieved at Celtic so far but I’ve still got a lot of business to be done and a lot of goals to contribute.’
The debate over what he might have achieved over seven years had he been fully focused throughout is valid.
But nor can what he has achieved be readily discounted. Only 19 players have scored more goals in Celtic’s history. Only 12 have more medals.
‘When I first signed, people were questioning if I could cope, could I step up to the plate and score at certain levels,’ he reflected.
‘I keep knocking people back and proving people wrong. Most importantly, I need to keep proving to myself that I’m still available and willing to do the hard work and I’m still getting selected and can play at the top level.’
He now has 121 goals in a Celtic shirt. Joining the 150 club as soon as possible is the next target.
‘I think that’s very doable,’ he said. ‘If I stay injury-free, I’ll get chances and it’s just a question of putting them away.’
His current contract takes him through to the end of next season. He’ll be 31 by then with eight-and-a-half years of service under his belt. Yet he sees no reason why that should represent a natural break.
Asked if remaining at Celtic Park for a decade was in his sights, he said: ‘Yes, but I’m not going to get carried away. I’ve still got a lot of work to do to make sure I’m still in the manager’s plans.
‘ But l ong- term that’s where you want to be — at a club like Celtic for eight, nine, ten years, getting talked about in terms of testimonials and stuff.’
More immediately comes the task of putting boyhood heroes Hibs to the sword tonight. There can never be any place for sentiment in football — least of all when embarking on the equivalent of an Everest climb.
‘It’s just another game for me,’ said Griffiths. ‘No matter who the opposition is, I want to try and play as many games as I can and score as many goals as I can.
‘They (Hibs) have had a wee bit of a wobble lately but they’ve got a good manager and good players.’
No matter the controversy over the club’s trip to Dubai, there is no debating the restorative powers the Arabian sun seems to have on Celtic. To stand even a fighting chance of reining Rangers in, its effects had better be evident immediately.
‘Hopefully history repeats itself,’ said Griffiths. ‘ We were in a difficult place last year but we came back from Dubai and blew everyone away. It’s a big ask with the sizeable lead Rangers have but there’s no doubt in my mind we can claw it back bit by bit.’