LEIGH GRIFFITHS has been snubbed by Celtic’s Scottish Cup opponents Morton.
The 32-year-old former Hoops striker has been out of mainstream football since leaving Falkirk at the end of last season following a short stint at the third-tier club.
Griffiths, who scored 123 goals for the Parkhead side, had his contract scarapped this time last year after he had been returned early from an initial season-long agreement with Dundee.
TAKING A BACK SEAT…Leigh Griffiths sits it out after being subbed in Celtic’s 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Falkirk on April 3 2021, one of his last appearances at Parkhead.
Following a couple of games in Australia, the one-time Scotland international has been training with first club Livingston as he looks to get back into the game.
The Cappielow club were reported to be interested, but news emerged Greenock boss Dougie Imrie has turned his attention to another ex-Hoops frontman, Nadir Ciftci.
The Championship outfit were eager to land the 30-year-old forward for the remainder of the season, as the Scottish Sunreported.
A deal had been agreed in principle with the Turkish star only for the SFA to refuse to grant the player a work permit.
Ciftci only left Scottish football last summer following a spell with St Johnstone. Morton applied for a Governing Body Endorsement, which was then referred to the Exceptions Panel in accordance with regulations, only to then be rejected.
COLLECTOR’S ITEM…Nadir Ciftci scores one of his four Celtic goals in a 6-0 win over Dundee on September 20 2015. Ironically, the keeper is Scott Bain, now part of Ange Postecoglou’s current first-team squad.
After leaving Perth, the Hoops flop joined Greek outfit Makedonikos, but left at the turn of the year.
Imrie had hoped to field Ciftci against Ange Postecoglou’s side at the weekend and get him settled in for the club’s push for promotion.
Ronny Deila signed the attacker for Celtic in the summer of 2015 after he had scored 25 goals in 68 games for Dundee United.
However, Ciftci failed to spark at Parkhead and claimed a mere four goals in 26 appearances and was loaned to Turkey’s Eskişehirspor, Poland’s Pogoń Szczecin, Plymouth Argyle and then Motherwell.
Unless there is a dramatic u-turn, there is no chance of Ciftci making a reappearance at Parkhead.
