Pundit Michael Stewart has said that Leigh Griffiths is lucky to have been offered a new deal by Celtic. The 30-year-old had been anxiously waiting on news as new manager Ange Postecoglou and some of the first team returned to Lennoxtown and he trained alone. However, the 1st of July brought news of renewed terms, albeit reduced wages, for the striker.
Speaking in his Scottish Sun column, Stewart said that the nature of the club’s transition this summer with Dominic McKay arriving as CEO allowed Griffiths to remain at the club.
“Griffiths is lucky in the sense that his deal indicates where Celtic are right now. Put simply, they are chasing their tail — and he has benefitted by getting this final chance.
“The opening Champions League qualifier is just over two weeks away and new boss Ange Postecoglou has a huge rebuilding job on his hands.
“Celtic’s squad has been decimated, the captain has left and some of his best players want out. A new chief executive is in place, but there is no director of football or recruitment chief. So should anyone really be surprised that Griffiths was offered an extra year by Postecoglou?
“They have a guy who is a proven goalscorer — but has had his share of fitness troubles over the last few years. Had Celtic been better organised and had a structure in place for this summer, Griffiths could have found himself out the door. Instead, it’s a deal that suits both parties.
“Griffiths wanted to stay. He’s taken a reduced wage and Celtic have another body in the squad.”
The player, who has scored 123 goals for the club, will know that this is his last chance at the club. He has been offered a number of chances in recent times but fitness issues have left him struggling for game time. Now, Ange has decided to give him another shot at making a claim to remain at the club but the clock is ticking in that regard. Griffiths has just twelve months to prove to the manager that he was right to extend his deal and that he is good enough to continue playing for the club.
