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Leigh Griffiths must replay the faith shown in him by Celtic and forget about his fitness feud with Neil Lennon.
The striker has handed a year’s contract extension on Thursday just when it looked like he was heading for the Celtic Park exit door.
But new boss Ange Postecoglou knows he has a proven Premiership goalscorer on his hands – if Griffiths is fit and in the right frame of mind.
The Scotland international reported back from lockdown last year severely out of condition which drew Lennon’s wrath.
But he’s been back early this time around in a bid to impress the new man and reach the levels he’s capable of.
And Mark McGhee has urged him to forget what’s gone before and prove the club were right to keep him around for another year.
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He said: “Celtic, by giving him another year, are showing they believe in him. That is fantastic and now Leigh needs to repay that faith and to get himself another year at Celtic and then another year after that.
“Leigh has this opportunity now and I just hope he takes it.
“If he can get back to his old levels, and Celtic play in a way that gets the best out of him, then he can get back to being the club’s main striker.”
“The slate has been wiped clean. My understanding is that the new Celtic manager wants to work with and improve players.
“He is a good people’s person and has empathy there. Now the opportunity is there for Leigh.
“I don’t think this boy is coming with any preconceived ideas.
“He would have had a big say in Leigh getting this additional year. Ange will have talked to people and done his homework and he will then have made the final decision.
“The fact he has got another year means that the new manager has seen something in Leigh and that has to be a positive or they wouldn’t have given him another contract.”
If Griffiths can get himself at peak fitness, then McGhee believes he could easily replace the goals Celtic could potentially lose if Odsonne Edouard moves on.
“It is up to Leigh now to give himself a fantastic pre-season and to get himself fit and to put himself into contention,” the Stockport assistant claimed.
“When Celtic are dominating games and creating chances then that is when Leigh is in his element.
“He comes alive in and around the box. A fit Leigh will convert more chances than anybody else.
“If he is at the top of his game then he is easily a 25 to 30 goal striker in the Celtic team. If he isn’t at the top of his game then he won’t, it is now up to him.”
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