Leigh Griffiths has branded Rangers chief Dave King “mad” for claiming that Celtic ought to be further ahead of Rangers than what they that currently are.

The Ibrox chairman King suggested this week that Celtic should be further ahead given that Rangers had been "in the wilderness for four years".

Griffiths, though, did not hold back as he told the Gers supremo to concentrate his efforts on looking after his own club rather than at what Celtic are doing.

“How much further away does he want us to be?” said Griffiths. “Thirty nine points, two 5-1 gubbings - one at home and one away - beaten in a semi-final of a Cup. Can you ask for a bigger gulf than that?

“They finished third and were touted at the start of the season to win the league.

“Last season they had Joey Barton saying he was going to be the best player in the league and he lasted a few months.

“Then he vanished back down the road.

“We just carried out our business professionally and respectfully and at the end of the season we reaped the rewards with a domestic treble and unbeaten.

“If he thinks we should be further ahead then he’s mad.”

“Instead of taking about us he should be concentrating on them.

“He’s got a new manager and he has his own mindset that he wants to bring in players and the chairman should be focusing on that rather than us. Focusing on bridging the gap between us and them.”

King also claimed that the 5-1 hammering Rangers were subjected to at home was actually a good thing as it highlighted the surgery Pedro Caixinha needed to do on the Ibrox squad.

It was a statement laughed out by Griffiths.

“You can’t get beaten 5-1 and say it’s a good thing - no matter who you are,” he said.

“I’ve been on the end of a 5-1 defeat in a Scottish Cup Final and it will be talked about forever.

“The Celtic fans enjoyed that day and we proved that it should have been more then 5-1 really.

“They got off lightly. That’s 90 minutes of football and only wanted to get three points regardless of the score line - be it 1-0 2-0 or 5-1.

“We did the business, clapped the fans at the end of the game and went home happy.”

The nature of King’s remarks have not gone unnoticed at Celtic but Griffiths insists that they will not feature as any additional spur when the Hoops get their defence of the treble underway.

Celtic will open their season by raising the league Championship flag against Hearts and Griffiths insists that the Parkhead side’s motivation will come from within.

“Behind the scenes we have our own motivation,” he said. “We have three trophies to defend and we know how difficult it will be.

“We have big games before the league starts and we have to make sure we do well in them first and then we want to get off to a flier.

“I’d expect a stronger challenge from Rangers and Aberdeen to be up there again. St Johnstone are a top six team and Hearts and Hibs will be up there.

“We are under no illusions that the league is going to be tougher, but it’s about what we do.

“If we are at our best then no one will be able to live with us.”

Rangers have brought in nine new players so far which ought to strengthen them, but Griffiths is unperturbed.

“The only recognised player I’ve heard of is Bruno Alves,” he said. “He’s a good solid defender and playing in the Confederations Cup with Portugal and he’ll be a good addition.