How Leigh restored the fizz to his football
LEIGH GRIFFITHS freely admits he put the sparkle back into his career when he cut the soft drinks out of his life. No stranger to guzzling Irn-Bru in his spare time, it was last October when he woke up to the realisation that his craving for Scotland’s other national drink was doing his body-fat readings no favours.
Clutching a bottle of water yesterday — still, not sparkling — at a Scotland event at Peter Vardy Vauxhall car showroom in his native Edinburgh, Griffiths recalled how a heart- to- heart with fitnessobsessed Celtic boss Ronny Deila finally prompted him to address his dietary habits.
That is notwithstanding one famous lapse when he was caught sneakily scoffing a Tunnock’s teacake on the bench during a 2-0 win at St Mirren in April.
Overall, however, the ex-Hibs and Wolves forward has since impressed Deila so much that the manager has identified the Scot as his main striker for the Champions League qualifiers this summer.
But Griffiths revealed there was an extra motivation to cut out the sugary drinks when he detected the Norwegian had major doubts over whether he was capable of making the changes needed to stop his Celtic career falling flat.
‘In Norway, there’s a big thing about body fat and my readings weren’t up to the manager’s standards,’ said Griffiths.
‘I’ve never been the fattest of guys over the years. But I was a sucker for fizzy juice. I had a sweet tooth f or I rn- Bru. Now I ’ ve stopped drinking that and it’s all about diluting juice and water. In fact, you’ll see I’ve brought a bottle of water here with me today.
‘That’s why I’m playing now for Celtic. But it’s not just one thing. It’s been about getting stronger, working harder in the gym and in training, changing my off-field stuff, my diet. I’ve done it all.
‘My view is that the manager didn’t think I had it in me to do it. It was just a feeling I had when we had our chat in October.
‘ The way he was l ooking, I guessed he wanted me to change but didn’t think I had it in me. I went out of that room determined to get my place back in the Celtic team. And I’m thankful I’ve changed his mind with everything I’ve done ... although when I left for the summer he did say my body fat could still be better.’
After Griffiths failed to make the squad for a Europa League tie in Austria against Red Bull Salzburg last September, Deila spoke of the player’s need to become a ‘24-hour athlete’ i f he wanted to turn around his Celtic career.
Griffiths believes that comment related to his off-field controversies, not his lifestyle issues. It was not the first time he had been issued with such a warning in the form of a friendly chat, although it is one that finally appears have been heeded.
‘That comment was all about my off-field antics and what happened with me over the last few years,’ said Celtic’s top scorer this past season.
‘The manager wanted me to change all that. He said he saw potential in me and if I could cut all that stuff out, then I could be a real top player. Since the middle of January, I’ve started to show what I really can do.
‘The manager is all about fitness and I wouldn’t be playing for Celtic if I wasn’t fit. He certainly wouldn’t have put me in against Inter Milan if I wasn’t ready.’
The turning point came when Deila offered him the choice of training in Glasgow or a game with the Celtic youths at Sunderland. Griffiths drove south for three hours to play in the pouring rain and his commitment saw him given another chance in the first team.
‘I remember that meeting well,’ said Griffiths. ‘I told him that I would play because I needed games. I needed to be match sharp. Going down to Sunderland definitely helped me.’
Griffiths’ improved attitude has also won him a Scotland recall from Gordon Strachan — and he would dearly love to lead the line against Qatar at his beloved Easter Road on Friday night.
‘I was left out of the Scotland squads and rightly so,’ he said.
‘Everybody thinks because you play for Celtic and you’re a striker, you’re automatically first choice. That’s definitely not the case. You need to be playing well and scoring goals. Thankfully, since the turn of the year, I’ve done that and, hopefully, I get the nod on Friday. If so, I’d be ready to go.’
LEIGH GRIFFITHS was making an appearance at Peter Vardy Vauxhall in Edinburgh to preview Scotland’s international challenge match against Qatar at Easter Road on Friday night.