THE LIKELY LAD
Ciftci just has to wait while Leigh enforces his status as Celtic’s solo striker supreme
DARREN JACKSON would be first to admit it. The fashionably grey hairs peppering his head these days owe as much to a spell as Leigh Griffiths’ agent as they do to the passing of time.
The two were brought together by curiosity. Friends with former Livingston coaches John Robertson and Dave Bowman, Jackson was invited to take a look at a young striker acquiring a certain reputation.
‘They told me to come down and see this lad who was mad,’ Jackson smiles now.
‘My dad, who isn’t with us anymore, also knew about him as a young kid and said he was mad on the pitch. By mad, I mean his temperament.
‘But you could see right away how good he was. Leigh doesn’t dress things up. He doesn’t go past someone and think: “Is this a good angle?” He just goes past them and hits it. The keeper isn’t ready for it.
‘He will hit it from angles people don’t expect and that’s why he scores so many goals. He doesn’t want to dress it up, beat three people, have a nutmeg here or a flick there.
‘He just wants to get a chance, get a yard and get a shot on target.
They told me to come down and see a lad who was mad
‘A goalscorer is natural. Look at them through the years. It’s just in you. People talk about the great goalscorers being lucky — but they’re not lucky.
‘They just make a decision to get into the box in a certain place at a certain time. They can’t be lucky 30 times a season.
‘Leigh is a natural finisher and always will be. He seems to be adding a lot more to his game, which can only make him an even better player for celtic.’
Now celtic’s top scorer on 20 goals, Griffiths is in the form of his life. He has overcome the doubts of both Ronny Deila and his club’s supporters to become firstchoice striker at Parkhead.
Jackson worked with Nadir ciftci at Dundee United and believes he still has something to offer.
As much as the Turk’s own teething troubles, though, Griffiths has been a formidable hurdle, making huge strides as a player on and off the pitch. An unfortunate habit of featuring on front pages as well as back has finally been tamed.
‘He’s an absolute gem of a boy but as an agent you do have concerns,’ Jackson concedes of Griffiths. ‘You do worry.
‘But he’s gone to celtic and he’s a happy boy. He’s signed a new contract and he’s happy on the pitch. His life, although it can be complicated, he’s happy with it and that’s showing on the pitch.
‘Go and ask anyone at celtic, Dundee or anywhere he’s been — they love him. He’s a great wee guy who just wants to play football with his pals.’
Leaving Wolves for Glasgow, Griffiths had his doubters. Had the name been Griffithski or Griffakis he would have been readily accepted.
But, as Jackson discovered in his own time as a Parkhead striker in the late 1990s, homegrown players must work harder to earn the respect, let alone affection, of the support base. The striker didn’t help himself with the Rudi skacel racism charges, but has set about repairing his reputation since.
‘celtic fans will always want big stars, and I can relate that to my own move there. That’s just how the club is,’ says Jackson.
‘But I knew Leigh would score goals. People asked if he could score in Europe but I think his game has improved. He’s better leading the line and, like kenny Miller, he’s one of those players who likes playing up front himself. He doesn’t have to look to anyone else to see what runs they are making.
‘All the goals he scored for Hibs was when he was playing up front himself. so all the runs he was making, he knows what he wants and where the ball is going to go. He enjoys that. ‘He’s still young (25), so he’ll want to achieve everything he can at celtic. He’s happy there.
‘People go to a club like celtic and struggle. I remember walking in the door and thinking this was a massive club. I remember speaking to Gary Mackaysteven and stuart Armstrong last year and they were just blown away. Because you don’t understand until you’re on the inside. But the wee man has the personality to embrace that and thrive on it. Wherever he plays he will score goals.’
None of this marks good news for ciftci, a summer signing from Dundee United last summer.
Jackson believes the Turk can play as a lone striker. Yet the evidence so far has been scant. There are, he believes, two issues.
The first was a lengthy domestic ban for biting Dundee’s Jim McAlister, while still with United, last season. The second is the rapid improvement and growth of Griffiths in a celtic jersey.
‘It’s the double dunt for Nadir — he can’t get in because Griffiths is scoring goals and when he does get in he’s not scoring,’ adds Jackson.
‘I was over the moon for him when he did score at st Johnstone and texted him to say that I hoped it was the break he needed.
‘Nadir will get judged on his record but he scored 17 goals for us and when you go to celtic people defend a lot more and he’s not getting chances but his quality is exceptional.
‘People look at him and think he’s older than he is. Nadir is only 23 but he’s had a bit of a hard time. He had moved from club to club but he felt great with us. He could go out and play and enjoy it. Then he moves to celtic and expectations go through the roof.
‘It didn’t help that he was banned for six games and then played one game and was back out again and one game and back out.’
Jackson admits he would love to see Griffiths and ciftci play as a partnership. But, even at home, Deila favours two holding midfield players over two strikers in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
‘I’m not picking Ronny’s team but could Leigh and Nadir play together?’ asks Jackson.
‘No doubt about that. But the way Ronny plays he only goes with one up front and how could you not go with Griffiths?
‘It doesn’t matter how Nadir is playing — if the boss picks one he plays Griffiths because he’s electric. Dynamite.’
Darren Jackson was speaking at a William Hill event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the SFA Scottish Cup.