IBROX INFLUX
Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Craig Gordon there is a core there who are very good.
“Caixinha brought in his own players he knows and trusts. They are mostly foreigners but Arsene Wenger likes to sign French players because he knows what he’s going to get out of them.
“Caixinha is confident they can come here and do it. The good thing is he got the back end of last season and has had a couple of games against Celtic so he knows what it takes.”
Celtic were listed odds on to make it seven in a row next spring even before they had cantered to six, the first title for new boss Brendan Rodgers.
Jackson, most recently assistant to Gary Locke at Raith, has also worked as an agent and oversaw the transfer of Griffiths from Livingston to Dundee, then on to Wolves and Hibs. Griffiths had a frustrating campaign despite the success of his team and a personal haul of 20 goals, best summed up when he snarled at the bench after being subbed during a 5-0 win at Partick Thistle.
Jackson said: “I was at the Partick game when he came off and had that wee word with Brendan and I was laughing.
“I texted him afterwards. He reacted like that because he wants to score goals and he had to apologise afterwards. Rightly so, he knows that.
“That’s just Leigh. He’s cheeky and wants to try stuff because he’s confident.
“He has belief in his ability. He’s not arrogant and doesn’t go out to wind people up. He just thinks, ‘I need to score goals – that’s what I do in life. I score goals.’”
Griffiths was linked with a move to West Brom and Newcastle last week in the wake of his stunning set-piece strikes against England but Jackson has told Celtic fans not to fret.
He said: “If Leigh is playing, he doesn’t want to be any other place than Celtic. People have maybe sat up and taken more notice of him after the goals against England.
“However, if the wee man is in the Celtic team then I don’t think he wants to be anywhere else.”
Jackson was speaking as he joined former Dundee United kid Jordan Moore and Phil O’Donnell’s daughter Megan to promote the Teenage Cancer Trust and Cardiac Risk in the Young.
He added: “It’s incredible to think it’s almost 10 years since Phil passed away. He was such a big part of stopping 10 in a row but in a quiet way. He was a top boy and is always in our thoughts.”
● For further details check out fb.me/footballunites2017 How many of Rangers’ old guard will be first picks next season? AS it stands only Wes Foderingham, James Tavernier and Lee Wallace look like making the first team but Kenny Miller will not roll over without a fight. Expect the veteran to quickly re-establish himself as a player Pedro Caixinha cannot do without. FODERINGHAM, Tavernier and Wallace can be confident of holding down regular starting slots although with Niko Kranjcar and Jordan Rossiter fit, they will be considered. And it wouldn’t surprise me if Miller forces his way in. THERE is no need to change the keeper as Foderingham is a dependable option and Tavernier still has a part to play while there should be a place for Barrie McKay. That’s about it and it shows just how much surgery is required. ONLY keeper Foderingham should remain from a defensive unit which was well short last season. A fit Kranjcar will feature while Miller and McKay will both have a large part to play.