Griffiths’ Celts comeback can inspire others
GEORGE CONNELLY reckons Leigh Griffiths can become an inspiration for people with mental health issues by making a successful comeback for Celtic.
And he thinks the striker couldn’t have a better manager to help him make it back to the top than Neil Lennon.
Connelly looks back on his infamous Parkhead walk-out and wishes he had the luxury of an agent to look after his interests and keep him on the straight and narrow.
But those were different days and he believes the level of support available to modern-day players is a blessing that can stop a star like Griffiths from being lost to the game as he was.
Griffiths is preparing to fight for his place again when he reports for pre-season training after taking six months out to deal with mental health and personal issues.
And with Lennon – who has spoken about his own struggles with depression – confirmed as manager on a permanent basis, Connelly believes Griffiths couldn’t ask for a better mentor.
He said: “I was just under pressure and didn’t know how to handle it or who to turn to. An agent would have been ideal for me. Someone who knows the score who I could phone and have them talk me down from doing something rash.
“I didn’t get the kind of support that Griffiths is getting – and it’s great he has that – and if somebody had got me there I might have been OK.
“Lennon knows how to handle him and I’m sure he’ll be OK. That will be a big help for him, the fact the manager has been through that kind of thing before, so I’m sure Lennon will sort him out.
“I think he’ll be back in the team again because Celtic don’t have many good strikers and, let’s be honest, Griffiths is the best goalscorer they have.
“That would send a good message if he does make it back playing for the first team. A good example for other people going through tough times.
“If I was speaking to myself as an 18-year-old I’d say, ‘If you’re going out for a drink just have five drinks at the most, don’t drive (because cars at that time cost a lot) and don’t gamble’.
“To the 26-year-old who walked out I’d say, ‘Just take a breath, hang fire and see what’s going to happen’.
“But it was a hard one at the time because I had a lot of pressure off the pitch, couldn’t make ends meet and basically buried my head in the sand.”