Oz minnows give Griffiths a lifeline
Ex-Celt bids to rescue career at third-tier side
LEIGH GRIFFITHS has agreed to join Australian thirdtier side Mandurah City in an unlikely career twist for the ex-Celtic striker.
The semi-professional club yesterday announced that Griffiths, capped 22 times by Scotland, would play in their final two home games of the season.
Mandurah currently sit fourth in the Western Australia State League 1, one of 11 regional divisions sitting below the A-League and the National Premier Leagues in Australia’s football structure.
Based at the 2,000-capacity Securitas Protect Stadium, 45 minutes south of state capital Perth, they are managed by former Falkirk and Raith Rovers forward John Baird.
Baird built a friendship with Griffiths during his time in the Scottish game and has now persuaded the 31-year-old to agree a short-term deal Down Under.
The switch is the latest and most surprising move for Griffiths as he seeks to halt a career spiral since exiting Parkhead earlier this year.
He scored 123 goals in 261 appearances for Celtic but a number of off-field issues affected his time at the club before he was released. Griffiths was on loan at Premiership rivals Dundee last season but subsequently moved to Falkirk in League One. That latter spell saw him score two goals in 11 starts.
Earlier this summer, he trained with first club Livingston to help his bid to find a new employer. Livi manager David Martindale praised his work-rate but was clear from the start that no contract offer would be made as he was looking for a different kind of forward.
Speaking last month, Griffiths (below) admitted he was prepared to look overseas to find a fresh opportunity. He told BBC Scotland Sportsound: ‘There will be split opinion of “is my career finished, do I need to drop down leagues or can I still cut it at the highest level?”. For me, I can still cut it at the highest level, I fully believe that, and it is about getting that chance to prove myself again. But I need keep proving myself to people who keep doubting me. It seems nowadays there’s more and more.
‘But nobody will be more thrilled to do it than me, but it’s about getting that chance and a manager who fully believes I can still cut it. Right now, it’s a dogeat-dog world out there, everyone is fighting for contracts and trying to get the best club they can, and I am no different.
‘A lot of things have happened over the last couple of years, clubs might not want to be associated with me but I am just working tirelessly to get myself in the best shape, ready to go into whatever pre-season clubs are at.
‘Then it’s just about trying to hit the ground running and be on the back page for all the right reasons.’
Griffiths, who made his last Scotland appearance against Israel in November 2020, will now try and advance that process in Australia. ‘Mandurah City are delighted to announce that Leigh Griffiths will be joining the club,’ said a statement issued yesterday. ‘The experienced, 31-yearold striker is a proven goalscorer in the Scottish Premier League and on an International level. Leigh is undoubtedly one of the biggest signings in not only Mandurah’s history, but one of the biggest in Australian NPL & State League football history.’
Meanwhile, Celtic last night played down reports of a bid to secure unsettled Barcelona winger Alex Collado on a season-long loan. The 23-year-old is surplus to requirements at the Catalan giants after failing to secure firstteam football and had previously been scouted by former head of recruitment Nick Hammond.
But, despite Ange Postecoglou refusing to rule out further new faces before the window closes, reports of a move for the Spaniard are wide of the mark.