LEIGH GRIFFITHS has narrowed his sights on firing Celtic towards a glorious double rather than shift his focus to a Scotland recall for Dublin.

 

The hot-shot Celt is the in-form Scottish striker, with 14 goals since the turn of the year -including two hat-tricks in the Hoops' last four games.

This strike rate has led to calls for Gordon Strachan to bring him back into his Scotland squad for the end-of-season double-header, the friendly against Qatar on June 5 and the crunch Euro 2016 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland seven days later.

With Sunderland's Steven Fletcher already a serious doubt for these games with an ankle injury, and the seasons of Jordan Rhodes, Stevie May and Ross McCormack set to end this weekend, there should certainly be room for a goalscorer who is fully fit - and in form.

Griffiths fits the bill on both counts and would be very happy to get the call.

But after being left out of every squad since the friendly match against Nigeria in May last year, the Hoops hero is wary of building up his hopes.

So his priority is on firing Celtic over the line in the SPFL title race, and adding to the 18 goals he has already scored this season.

That would bring him a league championship medal to go with the winners' medal from the League Cup.

The Double would be a very pleasing return from a season which started with him wondering if he was destined to be pushed wide - or even out the door - by new Hoops boss, Ronny Deila.

Ten months on, he is the Celtic manager's first-choice striker, the club's top scorer, and the man the Norwegian will be happy to have at the point of his attack when the club returns to Europe next term.

Strachan can't have failed to notice - and be impressed - by the part Griffiths has played in the Hoops' resurgence.

And, if the call came to come in from the cold and add to the four caps he has already won, the hot-to-trot hitman would be there in a shot.

He is only too aware a big finish to Celtic's league campaign would enhance his chances, and Griffiths said: "I've said all along Scotland have got strikers who can score goals.

"I am just trying to do as well as I can for myself and for Celtic.

"If Gordon Strachan picks me for the friendly and the qualifier, I would be delighted.

"If not, I will enjoy my summer and come back raring to go again for next season."

Meanwhile, Deila admits that staging their own pre-season tournament might be an option as he looks for the best preparation for European qualifying ties.

In previous years, the Hoops have themselves been invited to tourneys as far apart as London, Amsterdam, America and Australia.

The timing would be the issue because Celtic's early start to the European season comes before most big clubs are back in training.

But, as a concept for the future, it is not dismissed out of hand by the forward-thinking manager who is determined not to haul his players around foreign fields to complete their pre-season work.

Deila said: "It is not something I've thought about so far, but that could be something to consider."