CELTIC striker Leigh Griffiths is confident of adding to his 35-goal haul if he gets the call from Gordon Strachan to play against Denmark at Hampden tomorrow night.
The prolific Hoops hitman is poised to play from the start against the Danes and is determined to claim his debut strike for his nation at this level.
Griffiths said: “When I won my first cap, Hibs were playing two up front. Now at Celtic, I’ve been playing in the lone striker role for the past 18 months and I’ve grown into it.
“It feels weird when the gaffer says there will be two up now! With Scotland, it will be one and I hope to get the nod.
“I’m not just about scoring goals. There are three or four guys behind me ready to get up in support. That lone striker role is not just about scoring.
“It’s about holding the ball up and bringing others into play, but you know when you lay-off, you need to get straight into the box to put the ball back in.
“I can only do what I am doing at Celtic and that is score goals. If that’s enough to get me in, I’ll be happy. If not, I’ll wait and need to take the chance when it comes.
“The level of competition we faced at the beginning of the season, such as Malmo and other games, mean you could say that I am ready to go. But that decision is up to the gaffer.
“If I get an opportunity and play well, I can give the manager food for thought. But I still need to continue my club form right up until the World Cup qualifiers.”
Griffiths, who has been unable to score in his six appearances for Scotland, made his first start for the national team in a 1-0 win over Croatia in a World Cup qualifier in Zagreb in the summer of 2013.
He has failed to establish himself with his country since then – due in a large part to the slow start he made to his time at Celtic after completing a £1million transfer from Wolves at the beginning of 2014.
He added: “Looking back at my Scotland career, I was probably fortunate to get a first start when I did against Croatia.
“I thought I did okay. I would have liked to have been involved more since then, but that was partly down to my club form, as well. If you aren’t performing well for your club, you cannot be considered for the Scotland team.
“But I have started this season well for Celtic and I want to keep it going. If I do that, I’ll be in with a chance.”
