LEIGH GRIFFITHS has only one game left to play in his bid to reach the 40-goal mark this season.
The Celtic striker hopes to at least equal Henrik Larsson’s 12-year record when he plays against St Johnstone in Perth on Wednesday night.
Griffiths, of course, is suspended for the title party against Motherwell on Sunday after picking up six bookings.
He admitted: “It was a bit disappointing not to get the 40th against Aberdeen at Parkhead.
“However, of course, the main thing was to get three points to become champions, the best team in Scotland.
“Yes, I’ve had a good season, but the mark of great players isn’t that you do it over one season, it is that you do it consistently.
“That is where it is hard – doing it again and again, season after season. But that is what I want to do. I want to get myself into this position every season.
“I changed so much, but I did it because I had to. The gaffer made it clear to me that if I wanted to play then there were certain things I had to do.
“So, I screwed the head, knuckled down and did them. I try hard not to eat junk. I eat loads of meat and protein and I did that to put on muscle, to be lean and to build strength.
“My aim, as it was all of the lads at the start of the season, was to get down below 10 per cent body fat and I did that.
“It took loads of hard work, but I feel the best I
have ever felt, physically and mentally.”
have ever felt, physically and mentally.”Griffiths, who cost a bargain £1.2million from Wolves in January 2014, was on the verge of a loan deal to Hibs last year as Ronny Deila looked for a winning combination in his frontline.
The Norwegian spent £2.3million on Serbian hitman Stefan Scepovic from Sporting Gijon, but he only managed six goals in 25 appearances and spent this season with struggling Spanish outfit Getafe.
Deila also forked out £1.5million to Dundee United for attacker Nadir Ciftci at the start of the campaign and gifted him the coveted No.7 shirt, but Griffiths saw him off, too.
The struggling attacker netted only four times in 22 outings and was loaned to Turkish outfit Eskisehirspor in January.
Amazingly, Griffiths is the only Celtic player to go into double figures in the goalscoring stakes as the club made it five title in a row.
Midfielders Kris Commons and Tom Rogic were closest with nine apiece while Nir Bitton claimed eight.
————————————————-
Charlie Gallagher’s new biography is out now on CQN Books. Order your copy HERE and we’ll sen d you a signed book and also a free gift!
