Day of mixed emotions for fearless Scotland and Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths

LEIGH GRIFFITHS left Hampden with a bottle of champagne but headed home to cut his son’s birthday cake.

It was probably just as well the Scotland striker knew he was due to celebrate young Jacob reaching the age of four yesterday.

Griffiths admitted he was a bundle of mixed emotions after scoring two incredible free-kicks and then watching a famous victory become a draw with Harry Kane’s late, late equaliser.

The bubbly given to Griffiths for his Man-of-the-Match performance sat at his feet symbolising the joy and pain of an unforgettable finale to the game.

He said: “I feel like taking this bottle and cracking it over my head to knock myself out.

“I am happy, and devastated, for the rest of the lads.

“I didn’t want to be remembered as a national hero, just by being in a team that got three points against England.

“It wasn’t to be, but we did get a valuable point.

“We showed that if we put our minds to it we can get any kind or result.”

What a crazy six minutes that was! pic.twitter.com/zfEyJwSBdW

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 10, 2017

The Celtic man displayed amazing nerve to curl home his first free-kick and then repeat the feat in the opposite side of the goal.

Failure isn’t something he ever considers.

He went on: “I’ve no fear about hitting penalties or free-kicks. I have missed penalties and put free-kicks over the bar but I’m always up for taking them.

“I have absolutely no fear in my body.

“I’ll miss chances but I’ll be there next time to put it away.

“I had three shots on target today, thankfully, two went in.

“At the first one, Charlie Mulgrew fancied it and I told him that I fancied it as well.

“He told me to get it on target and see what happens.

“At the second, Charlie gave me a pep talk by saying I’d scored one, now go and get a second.”

Although he couldn’t bring himself to celebrate the result, Griffiths admitted it was a game he’ll always remember.

He said: “It’s probably one of my best feelings in football when that second goal went in.

“That’s why I did half a lap of Hampden in celebration.

“I would have jumped in the crowd. I got carried away a bit and the boys grabbed me.

“I just wanted everyone to savour the moment because they don’t come around too often.

“I’ve now scored my first goals for Scotland and I hope they’re the first of many.”

The 26-year-old’s former Celtic team-mate Charlie Mulgrew admitted that holding on to beat England would have topped just about everything in his long career.

He said: “Someone said in the dressing room it would probably have been the best moment of most people’s careers if we’d held on to it.

“It would certainly have been a much better feeling than how we feel now.

“It was a mad ending but we need to be proud of our performance and the way we fought. We have to learn from it.”

The defender believes the point keeps Scotland in the running to get the World Cup play-off sport from Group F.

He added: “We looked at this game and the next two and probably thought we needed seven points.

“Hopefully we can get a couple of victories in the next two.”

Scotland play Lithuania away on September 1 and them Malta at home three days later.