Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths wants to be involved in Scotland’s post-season friendlies

LEIGH GRIFFITHS has told Scotland boss Alex McLeish that he is keen to be involved in Scotland’s two post-season friendlies against Peru and Mexico.

The 27-year-old Celtic striker missed out on McLeish’s first two friendly games after his return to the Hampden hot seat against Costa Rica and Hungary due to calf problems which had kept him out since January.

However, Griffiths is fit again and returned as a second-half substitute in Celtic’s 3-0 Ladbrokes Premiership win over Ross County at Parkhead on Saturday.

And while there is uncertainty as to the strength of squad McLeish will be able to muster for the two challenge matches at the end of May and early June, Griffiths is intent on adding to his 17 caps.

He said: “You always want to be involved in international duty but at times you can’t help being injured.

“There are another couple of good friendly games coming up at the end of the season that I’m hoping to be involved in and try to stake my claim for the (Nations League) games towards the end of the year.

“Pulling on the national jersey means everything to me.

“I don’t see why it would be a problem. I have missed a lot of game time and those games at the end of the season, even though they are friendlies will stand me in good stead coming back to pre-season.”

Griffiths is confident his long-standing calf problems are behind him after visiting a specialist in England.

Ahead of the Ladbrokes Premiership clash against former club Dundee on Wednesday night, he said: “I am feeling really good. It went really well.

“It is both calves. The specialist assessed me and identified it straight away and that is the area we worked on over the few days we were together.

“I came back and felt no pain.

“I have a tear in my calf muscle but the problem wasn’t coming from there it was coming from my hips and my glutes, they were that tight and my hamstrings and calves were doing double the work they should have been doing.

“It is a huge relief, a big weight off my shoulders that every time I step out on the field I haven’t got the thought in the back of mind that it (calf) is going to keep going.

“I can just concentrate on my football and try to get back in the team.”