LEIGH GRIFFITHS is another Celtic star close to signing a new long term deal at Celtic that will mean he is here for 10IAR. He hopeful of getting that new deal tied up in the next few weeks, but his more immediate concern is trying to convince Brendan Rodgers to give him a game on Saturday.
A couple of goals for the Celtic number 9 would take his total scored for the club up to 100 and they would also be the first ever goals he’d have scored for Celtic in a cup final. Much of course will depend on Moussa Dembele because if he’s fit then the manager this season has tended to start with him so Griff is more likely to be involved as a second half substitute.
But you never know, and if called into the starting eleven, few would have any doubts about his ability to hit these personal targets he’s set himself for Saturday.
“I’m two away and it seems to be getting increasingly and increasingly more difficult, but if I get the chance to put the ball in the back of the net I will.
“The boys are willing me to get it done and, hopefully, if there are any set-pieces, penalties I’m sure they’ll duly oblige and let me hit them.
“If I could write it how I want to get my 100 goals then it would be to get them in the Cup Final.
“I’ve never scored in a Cup Final for Celtic yet, so that would break my duck.
“But to get my 100th goal at Hampden would be the perfect end to the perfect season.”
Griffiths knows however that personal achievements aside, it is all about the team winning, regardless of who plays and who scores. He knows though that Motherwell will make it very tough so Celtic will need to be at our best to win the cup and complete a sensational Double Treble.
“I don’t think many people take notice of the goalscorers in Finals as long as we get the job done, obviously Tom Rogic’s was a little bit different because it was so late in the game.
“But I’ll need to wait and see. A lot of things can happen, we need to turn up on the day and make sure we play to our best.
“Motherwell will come and make it difficult for us, we’ve seen that in the past. They are a difficult opponent, but if we bring our A game then we are almost there.
“They will come and have a go. That is what they are all about.
“They have had an up-and-down season, but they have got to two major cup finals and they’ll be looking to make a mark, they want to get their hands on the trophy as well.
“But when we have everyone on form then we are very difficult to contain.
“There is pressure on us to win every week. We’ve got 60,000 fans at home pressing us to win and if we don’t win then we hear them.
“The manager says just take it game by game, let him deal with the off-the-field stuff, lets us just concentrate on our football and make sure you get the win.
“If you play to your best and you get beaten, then fair enough, it’s not our day, but we’ve got a full week to prepare for the big game.”
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