ANGE POSTECOGLOU has paid tribute to Leigh Griffiths whose eight-year Celtic career has come to an end.
The 31-year-old former Scotland international striker has left the club after the remaining five months of his contract were paid up.
Griffiths, who cost £1.1million from Wolves when Neil Lennon brought him to Parkhead in January 2014, scored 123 goals in 261 appearances for the Hoops before being loaned to Dundee at the start of the season.
Now he has become a free agent and is likely to complete the campaign at the Dens Park outfit on reduced terms.
END GAME…Leigh Griffiths makes his final appearance for Celtic in the pre-season friendly against West Ham at Parkhead in July.
Postecoglou watched his team overcome Hibs 2-0 in Glasgow last night as the Premiership restarted and there was a debut goal for new Bhoy Daizen Maeda as well as a penalty-kick conversion for Josip Juranovic.
Afterwards, though, the Greek-Australian gaffer took time off to applaud the efforts of Griffiths during his years in the east end of Glasgow.
Confirming the one-time fans’ favourite had been released, Postecoglou, speaking to Sky Sports News, said: “I think that’s come to an end, yeah.
“Leigh is now looking for the next chapter of his career.
“An outstanding football career at Celtic. All of us, we kind of pass through clubs, but you want to leave a mark there when you do.
“Leigh has certainly done that. I think he can look back on his Celtic career with great pride and he goes on to the next chapter of his football career. We wish him all the best.”
HOOPY DAYS…Leigh Griffiths celebrates one of his 123 Celtic goals.
The Dens Park club were poised to trigger a break in the temporary transfer agreement to send Griffiths back to Celtic this month, but they could now have a change of heart.
Boss James McPake, who has seen the frontman score just twice in 14 outings, said: “Leigh has trained over the past few days and has been working hard.
“When players like Leigh Griffiths pop up, you’re always interested. The situation is what it is, I can’t speak on behalf of Celtic, hopefully he goes and has a positive impact in our team.
“When you get Griffiths scoring goals then you’re getting a good player and we need to add more goals into him in the second half of the season.”
DAIZEN’S DEBUT STRIKE, REO GRAND AS HOOPS CELEBRATE
