Thursday 28 May 2015 13:56, UK
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths says he and the club are fully focused on getting through the Champions League play-offs after wrapping up a fourth straight Scottish championship title.
The Scotland forward struck his 20th goal of the season in the championship-celebrating 5-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the weekend.
His 80th-minute strike, after coming off the bench just three minutes earlier, helped the Parkhead celebrations go into overdrive against the Scottish Cup finalists.
Griffiths said: “It has been a long time coming. After the Aberdeen game we just wanted to get it over and done with and in the end it was a fitting way to go out and get the trophy. It was a great day, the stadium was packed and you couldn’t ask for any more.
“It’s great to be involved in that. After winning the league it was something we really looked forward to. My wee boy and girl love it but my youngest one is still too young to understand what’s going on but the kids love it.
“I was delighted to get on the park eventually and I probably should have scored with my first chance but with the second chance I wasn’t going to miss and there was no hesitation to put it away.”
Since Ronny Deila arrived in the Celtic hotseat, Griffiths has been asked to play as a winger as well as up front and he was delighted to have reached the 20-goal mark again.
He added: “A highlight of the season for me would be my two hat-tricks but the whole season for the boys has been magnificent. It’s brilliant to have won four in a row and to go for five next season.
“It won’t be hard for us to maintain our standards because this is Celtic and success is demanded. You can’t drop your standards and the manager had that installed in us from day one.
“He said this year that he wanted to go for the treble and we were very unlucky not to get there but next season we’ll want the exact same and to get to the Champions League as well. That’s the manager’s main aim and we’ll be looking to do that.
“It’s magic to win and it’s the whole reason I signed here, to win trophies. I won the league last season but it was already won by the time I arrived really. This season I’ve had a big part to play so it feels really special.”
Meanwhile, the Scottish champions will travel to Spain in the summer for a pre-season friendly against SD Eibar.
The game has been billed as one of the main events of the Basque side’s 75th anniversary celebrations after Eibar suffered the agony of being relegated from La Liga on the final day of the current campaign.
Deila’s men will use the July 18 contest to help their preparations for the crucial Champions League qualifiers later that month.
