Leigh Griffiths: Moussa Dembele is good, but he'll need to get me out of Celtic team first

Instead of feeling intimidated by the arrival the Fulham striker who has gained almost as many admirers as goals for Fulham last season – that’s 17 strikes, by the way – the message from the man who has carried the goalscoring can for the Ladbrokes Premiership champions was clear – you’ll have to go some to knock me out of the team.

It is an air of self-belief founded in reality and hard work than pretension or cockiness. In Griffiths’ two-and-a-half years at Celtic, he has seen more hit men come and go than Tony Soprano. Anthony Stokes, John Guidetti, Amido Balde, even Stefan Scepovic who yesterday exited Glasgow after a hopeless stay has now joined Getafe. They came, they didn’t score, they went.

Read more: Brendan Rodgers gets his wonder bhoy Moussa Dembele in four year deal

The exact opposite can be said of Griffiths of course. Seemingly destined for exile at one point under Ronny Deila, the 25-year-old banged in 40 goals in green and white last season, and has every intention of attempting to do just the same thing this season. Take note, Monsieur Dembele.

“Anybody that the gaffer signs will be welcomed to this club but he is going to have a tough job on his hands to move me out of the team,” said Griffiths in the lobby of Hotel Habakuk. “Hopefully, we can work together if he goes with two or three up front. Hopefully, the gaffer can find a space for both of us.

“I concentrate on what I do. I just work hard on and off the pitch and if I do that the manager will find it difficult to leave me out.

“When I do my job on the pitch and score goals it is going to be even harder for the team. Celtic are always going to be linked with big names strikers. I haven’t seen a lot of Dembele but he is meant to be a very big talent.

“He is only 19 and some big clubs were chasing him and he is a major coup. “Hopefully he will come here and do well.

"We have three strikers now. The gaffer has made his first signing and I'm pretty sure it won't be his last.

"It's a good addition to the squad and that can only benefit us.”

As his 40-goal tally would suggest, Griffiths was relied upon on a weekly basis to be the main to keep Celtic’s title challenge rolling on, and it was a challenge he more than delivered on.

Under Deila, a 4-2-3-1 formation often led to the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man up front on his own as a raft midfielders attempted to battle into the team. Under new manager Brendan Rodgers, Griffiths is content to welcome change.

At Liverpool Rodgers often used a front three that contained Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez, a trio that had a devastating impact on every Barclays Premier League defence they came up against.

If the Northern Irishman implements a similar style at Parkhead, Griffiths is happy to accommodate.

When asked about formations, he said: “We haven’t spoken about that yet but hopefully when Dembele joins up he will have a meeting with the strikers and attacking midfielders about how he wants to play.

“The midfielders have seen players come and go and it might be here comes another one but for me I just concentrate on my own game.

"I haven't had the chance to sit down and speak to him personally but we are here for 12 days and I'm sure he will do that. We will find out what the plans are for next season and when it comes around to me, it will be a positive chat. I'm looking forward to it.

"I feel versatile enough to play in whatever system he wants. He went with three strikers at Liverpool and would suit me. I'd be confident of playing left, centre or right in that formation.”

Speaking about the Liverpool model, Griffiths joked: "What one would I be? Suarez, Sturridge or Sterling? I'll let people work that one out for themselves. I can't dance anyway. My moves are a bit stiff.

"But that Liverpool front three was special. It worked really well and they had a good understanding.

"It's all about pressing and that's what my game is. Hopefully, the forwards have good movement.

"Hopefully there isn't too much chopping and changing and we score a barrowload of goals.

"Last season, it was basically a 4-3-3 we played. The gaffer had two midfielders, a No10 and two wingers coming in.

"We created a lot of chances and hopefully the same thing happens this season under the new manager.”

Griffiths has already had a week to work under Rodgers prior to coming to Slovenia, but the more clement weather and focus offered by this two-week stint abroad offers the former Hibernian man the chance to focus on impressing his new manager.

“It has been tough and been good,” he said. “The manager has stamped his authority as what he wants us to do.

“He wants to have that high-intensity pressure and the boys have adapted well. My game is all about pressing and getting in behind defences.

“He has spoken to me a couple of times and said if I get that pressing correct the people behind me will be winning the ball and I should get a lot more opportunities than I got last season.”