IT wasn’t so long ago that Leigh Griffiths had niggling doubts at the back of his mind over whether he would ever pull on a Celtic shirt again, never mind the navy-blue jersey of his country. Having achieved the former though, he has now set his sights on sealing a place in the Scotland squad to complete a remarkable turnaround in his fortunes.
Griffiths has come roaring back onto the scene since the winter break, striking up a deadly partnership with Odsonne Edouard in attack for Celtic and bagging five goals in 10 starts. It is the sort of form that is sure to be catching the eye of national team manager Steve Clarke with the all-important Euro 2020 play-offs looming on the horizon.
Griffiths certainly hopes so, as he looks to top off a season that has surpassed his wildest expectations by firing his country to a major tournament for the first time in 22 years.
Griffiths said: “It’s a big period coming up, with the kind of games you want to be involved in – playing Rangers twice will take care of itself plus, hopefully, there will be two play-offs with Scotland which will see us create history.
“It’s the pinnacle of your career [playing for your country]. I’ve had some great memories in a Scotland jersey, and I want to continue that.
“At the end of the month we have a great chance to create history and make sure we are in the Euro finals. And it’s only two 90 minutes - two tough 90 minutes - but as a squad if we don’t win them then we don’t deserve to be at the Euros.
“We have a good chance at home against Israel with everyone coming out to back us. Then we will see where that takes us.
“If I got selected for Scotland and I managed to start the game that would cap off an amazing season.
“Given where I was at the start of the campaign, to come back and lead my country hopefully to the Euro 2020 would be the icing on the cake.
“If you look back to 12 months ago, everybody was questioning where I was. People were asking is he going to come back? Will he play football again? What is happening?
“But I told people back then I was not finished and fast forward 12 months I am back playing well, scoring goals, and hopefully back in the Scotland squad trying to fire my country to Euro 2020.”
Griffiths has yet to hear from Scotland boss Clarke since making his comeback, though he couldn’t help but notice he was present as Griffiths scored at Rugby Park at the end of January, standing as he was beside Kris Boyd in the television gantry as the Celtic forward made a point to the pundit.
“I’ve not [heard from him], no,” he said. “The only time he has watched me was when we played Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and he was in the studio.
“I don’t know if he has been at any other games, but he’s not picked up the phone. But I’m not too downhearted about him not picking up the phone to me.
“It’s a hard job picking 25 or 26 players and he will not be focusing on one person. He will be debating with his coaching staff who he is going to select and who is going to be disappointed at being left out.
“If I’m not selected, I will take it on the chin, and I will work even harder to get back in.
“I would probably hang up [anyway] because I won’t recognise the number! If I am picked for the two games I will be absolutely delighted, and I will be working even harder to get into the starting XI.”
Even if the Israel match comes too soon for Griffiths to be on the field, that won’t keep him away from Hampden.
“One hundred percent I will be cheering the boys on,” he said.
“It’s one of them, you want to go and support them and if we do qualify at the end of the season and I’m still playing well, they won’t forget you are there supporting the boys. Hopefully you will get a chance to be in the squad.”
If a call-up to the Scotland squad would be the ultimate validation of the hard work Griffiths has put in to get himself back towards peak form, then the decision by his club manager Neil Lennon to change formation to try and get him into the line-up must be a close second.
Griffiths knows that Odsonne Edouard is a certain pick now, but he takes it as a massive compliment that Lennon has frequently went with two up front in an attempt to shoehorn him into the starting XI.
“I’m probably further ahead now than I thought I would be at the start of the season – I’d go as far as to say that it’s night and day between the end of last year and now,” he said.
“I’ve worked hard to give the manager a selection headache and make him think about changing to two up front.
“You can now see the rewards he’s getting, especially domestically, by going with the 3-5-2. All I can do is graft away with the coaching staff, who are first class – I don’t think we’ve ever done the same session twice – and try to leave an impression on them.
“Everyone’s busting their balls every day to be included but Odsonne and I are working well together and I’m hoping to keep that going. The good thing is that people are now talking about my football again.”
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