McManus is backing Griffiths to be a hero

A DECADE has passed since James McFadden followed up a goal against Lithuania with an unforgettable winner to defeat France in Paris. The intervening years have seen the Tartan Army hunger for a new hero with the capability to produce moments of star quality when they are most needed. Step forward Leigh Griffiths. The Celtic striker’s two sublime free-kicks against England in June opened his international account in the most spectacular style. Expectation has been raised ahead of this Friday’s game in Vilnius. But former international defender Stephen McManus believes Griffiths can keep on adding the X-factor to Scotland’s World Cup bid. ‘The strength of Gordon Strachan’s teams are the team as a whole,’ said McManus, who joined McFadden on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win over Lithuania in 2007. ‘It’s not the one individual. ‘But when you sprinkle that bit of stardust it can make all the difference. We had it at Celtic with (Shunsuke) Nakamura. You need players on an international night who can produce that little bit of magic. ‘Leigh Griffiths has that. And he is used to playing in big games and pressurised situations. ‘It means when you go to play for Scotland you are not overwhelmed by the occasion. You can take it in your stride. ‘He’s the type of centre-forward who probably thinks he can cross the ball and get on the end of it himself. ‘That’s what it takes to be a top international class striker. And Leigh has got that. He demands success and people feed off that. ‘People were questioning if Leigh Griffiths can play at Champions League and international level as a lone striker. ‘He can. He has answered that. He’s a goalscorer who can play in any sort of team. ‘He’s the guy who can make the difference. When you have a striker like him in your side all you need is half a chance and he will put it away. ‘One of the biggest things at this level is belief. People always tell you that you can play at this level, but only when you actually do it do you feel you have arrived. ‘Stuart Armstrong would have been similar before he came into the team but already he’s shown he can be one of our main players for the next 10 years.’

Stephen McManus was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill are the proud sponsors of Scottish football.