Leigh aims to cap it all and silence Brown
LEIGH GRIFFITHS is seeking to silence club captain and national team colleague Scott Brown by scoring his first goal for Scotland tonight.
The 26-year-old set his sights last week on claiming the ‘prized possession’ of Scotland’s No 9 jersey for this critical World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.
His determination and performance since joining up with the squad has resulted in the Parkhead hitman being given the nod by Gordon Strachan to form the main goal threat for the Group F showdown.
Now Griffiths is ready to make the most of the chance to
try and net for the national side for the first time and secure victory for the nation and his manager.
It is a feeling the Celtic forward is pining for. Of his 11 caps, only four have been starts. And that has allowed Brown to berate him for failing to strike for Scotland.
Brown has scored four times for his country, only once in competitive action — against Macedonia in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.
A winner from Griffiths would hand the striker bragging rights, such is the nature of Scotland’s qualifying hopes.
Griffiths said: ‘Broony keeps on teasing me about goals for Scotland. He’s been saying he’s scored more international goals than me, which is not what I wanted to hear.
‘You just have to bide your time and chances will come and then it’s a case of putting them in the net. Hopefully, I can break my duck sooner rather than later. If it’s this game, I’ll be delighted.
‘If not, then hopefully I can do my bit to help the team get the win and move up the table. Everybody knows what’s at stake.’
Griffiths, a second-half substitute against Canada on Wednesday, has been vying with Steven Fletcher, Jordan Rhodes, Steven Naismith and Chris Martin to earn Strachan’s vote.
The manager described the decision of picking a frontman for this tie as one of the biggest of his 35-match stint in charge.
Each candidate had a question mark hovering over his head. In the case of Griffiths, he is yet to start a match for Celtic in 2017.
He has been unable to repeat his unstoppable scoring streak of 2015/16 due to the form of Moussa Dembele and his own injury problems.
Brendan Rodgers offered a public rebuke of his professionalism concerning those efforts to return to fitness.
Despite the downturn in production, Griffiths was selected to lead the line at Wembley against England in November and he will relish the gift of trust to do so again from Strachan.
Speaking yesterday afternoon before learning of his inclusion, Griffiths said: ‘The job of striker is a prized possession and there are five of us going for it.
‘Whoever it is has to thank their lucky stars that the gaffer is going with them for a must-win game. Every striker will be the same, whether it be me, Fletch, Jordan, Naisy, Chris.
‘It’s all about who the gaffer goes with at the end of the day and they will have the support of everyone else. I hope it’s myself but, if not, hopefully I will be on that touchline waiting to come on and do my bit.’
The pressure is on to ensure a campaign does not collapse after only five fixtures and Griffiths admits he has often tried too hard to hunt down an elusive international goal.
‘Every time you play for Scotland you’re trying to impress,’ he said. ‘Maybe I’m trying that bit too hard to break my duck. I could probably take that kind of criticism.
‘In international football it is different nowadays; you need to bring others into play. Maybe I just need to relax, try and focus on my own game rather than what other people are thinking.
‘The most important thing is for the team to get three points, go a point behind Slovenia and then we can all look forward to the England game.’
Griffiths has Hampden history thanks to his extra-time winner for Hibernian in a dramatic 4-3 Scottish Cup semi-final success over Falkirk and a League Cup last-four goal for Celtic against Rangers in 2015.
He has club team-mates all around him today as Strachan could select a further five Parkhead stars — Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Craig Gordon, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney.
‘That could be a good thing,’ said Griffiths. ‘The boys picked have been playing well, been playing regularly apart from myself. Everyone else deserves their call-up.
‘Playing with these guys week-in, week-out they know your strengths and weaknesses. They are great players and it makes the game easier for me to try and do my bit.
‘Stuart has been one of our main players this season. We missed him when he was out injured but he’s come back in and been on fire.
‘He deserves his call-up. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was in the running for Player of the Year. The way he’s transformed his game has been great.’