McBurnie out for Scotland, why Kennedy must offer Leigh Griffiths game time

Leigh Griffiths is fighting for his Celtic future and with two games remaining this season it is imperative that he is involved, whether from the start or for a significant proportion of the game. Not only for the club to decide whether he will be offered a new deal or not but also to give the 30-year-old a fighting chance of being included in Scotland’s Euro 2020 squad.

With the news that Oli McBurnie looks set to miss the Euros this summer, Griffiths should be afforded the chance to oust Kevin Nisbet and Lawrence Shankland for the spot in the 26 man team. McBurnie, the Sheffield United forward, has a broken foot but he is also subject to an investigation after a video surfaced on social media with him being involved in an altercation resulting in his arrest. The 24-year-old is yet to score for Scotland but manager Steve Clarke appears to respect the Yorkshire-born striker’s hold-up abilities even if his finishing leaves a lot to be desired.

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Griffiths has had plenty of time to get himself fit this season and in seasons gone by but there has been security of a contract. Although the player needs to prove that he is worth keeping. No player should be safe for next season and no player is above scrutiny. With that said, the player needs to have more chances if he is to earn himself a new contract. Cameos may not best reflect his abilities and the same can be said for the youngsters coming through, why are they not given game time with players like Odsonne Edouard, Jonjoe Kenny etc all seemingly heading for the exit. There is also something in the fact that going to the Euros would require Griffiths to keep fit over the summer break as the European qualifiers come around so quickly in July.

The 30-year-old has endured a poor season after a very public issue with his fitness at the beginning of the campaign. The player has undoubted quality but fitness concerns have been highly disruptive for the club not being able to call upon a player that can, on his day, turn a game on its head.

Griffiths has scored five goals this season in eighteen appearances. The striker’s scoring record of 123 goals in 257 appearances represents an incredible return for the £800k paid to Wolves in 2014. The club need to make a decision on whether to retain Griffiths for another season or to allow him to leave for free but first, they need to give him the opportunity to play games of football in the two remaining games this season.

About Author

Born just as Celtic were stopping the Ten, Lubo98 follows Celtic home and away and helps run his local Celtic Supporters Club. He goes to all the games and is a Law Graduate. Has a particular fondness for Tom Rogic among the current Celts and both Lubo and Henrik form his earliest Celtic memories.

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