LEIGH GRIFFITHS admits he didn’t deserve a place in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the Euros next month.
And the 30-year-old Celtic skipper accepts he may have played his last game for the Hoops with his contract due to expire on Monday.
Griffiths fired in the crucial opening penalty-kick in the shoot-out victory over Serbia in Belgrade in November that helped the nation through to our first major tournament since Craig Brown led the Scots to the World Cup Finals in France in 1998.
But the frontman has struggled for game time at the fallen champions and did not complete a full 90 minutes through a wretched campaign for the player and the club.
Griffiths only managed seven goals all season and claimed just two since the turn of the year with his club and country career now on the line.
The forward acknowledged his omission from the Scots squad was no huge surprise and said: “It’s disappointing, but I don’t think I did enough to deserve a place in the squad.
BY THE LEFT…Leigh Griffiths fires in a free-kick in the 1-0 loss at Ross County in February.
“The other guys in there have been playing really well all season.
“I thought 99 per cent that I wouldn’t be in it. But there’s always the slight chance you’re hoping he might take a chance on me. Again.
“I’ve not played enough football this season, so I don’t think my place would have been merited. Guys like Kevin Nisbet and Lyndon Dykes have been scoring goals and deserve it.”
Griffiths has collected 123 strikes in eight seasons at Parkhead since his £1million arrival from Wolves.
Looking ahead, Griffiths, speaking on Go Radio, admitted: “The focus for me over the summer is to get as fit as I can and be ready for pre-season wherever that is and hit the ground running.
“I need to wait for the new manager getting announced and see what plans he has for me. If he doesn’t see me in his plans, then it’s off to pastures new.
“If that’s the case I’ve had great years at Celtic and put myself into the history books in the top 20 goalscorers.”
