WATCHING someone else take the plaudits and praise, doing exactly what you do best, isn’t always the easiest thing to take. Frustration can easily set in, and when that happens, it is easy to be distracted by things away from football.
In the case of Celtic and Scotland striker Leigh Griffiths, playing second choice to Moussa Dembele is what he’s been forced to live with. The young Frenchman’s prodigious talent in front of goal – and injuries to Griffiths – has made Dembele lead striker in the mind of Brendan Rodgers.
The Celtic boss has probably also made that judgement call around what could be categorised as the former Hibs man’s “extra-curricular activities”, with Rodgers publicly criticising Griffiths’ lifestyle choices recently after another injury set-back this season.
However, for former Celtic midfielder Billy Stark, who gave Griffiths his first senior Scotland cap, having also utilised him at Under-19 and Under-21 level in national colours, Griffiths has everything to be just as effective as Dembele – provided he doesn’t lose focus on what it takes to be a professional footballer.
“It is quite clear to everyone that he has to knuckle down and train the way he plays,” said Stark, ahead of what could be a return to action for Griffiths in Celtic’s squad for the weekend visit of Hamilton Accies.
“Leigh wasn’t one of the guys who rubbed his hands and got enthusiastic about training. He was quite open about not being entirely motivated when it came to training but when it came to games, he gave his all.
“He worked his backside off and he gave everything for the team which is why he was able to be half-hearted when it came to training. He could never have been labelled as lazy in games.
“But Brendan is a new breed of manager. He wants to train the way he plays. And that is high intensity, hard work on the training field. If you aren’t prepared to do that then it is quite obvious that you won’t be playing.”
A calf injury, the latest of a series on niggling knocks accumulated this term, has curtailed his recent participation in the all-conquering Celtic starting line-up. But, despite a proven record as a Hoops marksman – Griffiths netted 40 goals last season – Stark says the player may need to re-evaluate his approach and attitude given his manager’s scathing comments and the form of the French hitman.
“I thought he had calmed down and matured a wee bit,” said Stark. “I just hope for his own sake that he finds his focus and gets the head back down because he is a naturally talented boy.
“He needs to be big enough to take the criticism on the chin. He has had one absolutely cracking season for Celtic which should have given him an appreciation of where the hard work can take him.
“He has all the attributes of a natural striker. He has made the most of what he has got but he needs to get to work on the training ground and fully buy into what the manager wants to do.”
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