LEIGH GRIFFITHS says he was born to play at Ibrox after laying down his claim for a start against Rangers next week with a hat-trick against St Mirren.
The Celtic forward showed that he is back to his best with an emphatic display of finishing, and he believes he is peaking again at just the right time for next Sunday’s Old Firm showdown.
The forward has now hit eight goals since returning to the first-team fold after the winter break, and he has his sights set on protecting his unbeaten record for Celtic in Govan next week.
“I was born for Ibrox,” said Griffiths.
“I’ve never been beat there with Celtic. I have started there twice and scored twice with two victories.
“If the manager starts me or has me on the bench to go on and make an impact, I’ll be ready to go.
“I’m desperate to play in a game of that magnitude but what the starting eleven is that’s up to the manager and the coaching staff.
“There will probably be another 10 players itching to be on the bench, so he’s got a difficult job.”
Griffiths says that the more vitriol is aimed in his direction, the more it brings out the best in him.
“It’s the same with Tynecastle,” he said. “It seems to be a place that people hate [me] and I thrive under that kind of pressure.
“These are always the games you want to play, derby games, and we’ll take it as it comes next week.”
As well as having a personal point of his own to prove, Griffiths says that the Celtic squad as a whole will be travelling to Ibrox to set the record straight after their defeat at the hands of Rangers in late December.
But he is wary of a wounded Rangers, who will perhaps be taking one last swing at salvaging their remote title hopes.
“We know how difficult it will be,” he said. “They’ll be fired up. They’ve not been playing well and will want to prove a point against us. It’s about us going there and being solid and making sure we come away from the game with something.
“We’ll go there with a point to prove [too]. We went there earlier in the season and dominated from start to finish and came away with a 2-0 win and a clean sheet. Hopefully we can replicate that form, that same type of performance.”
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