Leigh Griffiths knew his time as a Celtic player was finally over when the Celtic support turned on him during a pre-season friendly with West Ham after the fans had simply had enough of the striker’s off field antics.
With Neil Lennon gone and Eddie Howe rejecting the chance to manage the club, Celtic turned to the former Australia National Coach Ange Postecoglou and one of his first tasks was to assess the players at the club and where each of them were in terms of their own individual circumstances.
Perhaps surprisingly to many, Postecoglou took the decision to offer Leigh Griffiths a one year extension even though he’d continually frustrated the Celtic management team the previous season by not being fit enough to play.
Griffiths had ended the curtailed previous season on fine form and alongside Odsonne Edouard had formed a feared, lethal partnership that supporters had hoped with pick up where left off for the attempt to win ten in a row.
Many factors why that didn’t happen were listed this week by Dermot Desmond who popped up on Celtic TV on Friday morning to give a wide-ranging interview. Yet one reason for last season’s failings that he did not mention was Leigh Griffiths reporting back for the biggest season in decades out of shape.
So for Postecoglou to be prepared to forgive and forget was pretty remarkable and Leigh Griffiths could think of himself as being very lucky to get one more last chance at Celtic. It didn’t last long though until a distasteful story emerged that pushed a large section of the Celtic support over the edge and confirmed to Griffiths that his time at Celtic was over.
Ange Postecoglou, witnessing all of this under his own stewardship, had the very straightforward conclusion to reach, that Griffiths had no future as a Celtic player and would not after all be part of his re-build. And if Leigh Griffiths is looking for anyone to blame he just needs to look in the mirror.
Speaking to Daily Record in a wide ranging exclusive interview Griffiths explained how it all came to an end for him as a Celtic player.
“I did leave Celtic with regrets about the way it all ended. There was a story about me in the summer which was disappointing from my point of view. I spoke to people at Celtic and the other people involved in the entire investigation process.
“It was established that I hadn’t done anything wrong. That’s when I felt Celtic should have come out and said they had spoken to me and everyone else involved and that nothing had been found and I was free to continue playing and scoring for the club.
“Had they done so then that would have been it as there was nothing there. I was flung back into training and the new manager was absolutely unbelievable with me – I don’t have a bad word to say about Ange. I don’t have a bad word to say about anyone at Celtic.
“Ange had come in and it was his job to get the team up and running and he’s then hit with this bombshell. I had to come back and do a mini pre-season.
“Then I played against West Ham and it’s the lowest I have ever felt in football. I left that game, climbed into the car and drove back home. I was crying – that was the point that I knew my time was done at Celtic.
“I said it in the car home, I couldn’t do this any more. It sounds strange but I can’t be a player who is booed both home and away. If I was playing at home I was going to be booed by my own fans and the away fans. If I went away from home I’m booed by the home and away fans when I touch the ball.”
Another tortured soul who has wasted a God given talent.
God Bless.
Another tortured soul who has wasted a God given talent.
An unfortune end to Leighs time at Celtic. Thanks for the memories and the goals Leigh. Hail Hail