Celtic cruised to a 5-0 victory over Partick Thistle on Thursday night, with Leigh Griffiths opening the scoring.
But you’d never have guessed that Griffiths was on the winning side when he was withdrawn from the fray, with the score at 3-0.
The Hoops striker made his feelings known in no uncertain terms as he confronted manager Brendan Rodgers after crossing the touchline.
Griffiths was clearly frustrated at being substituted and his sideline strop was threatening to dominate the headlines, rather than the result itself.
Thirty minutes and two goals later, Rodgers celebrated the victory, Celtic’s 33rd in the league this season, but he made a point of seeking out Griffiths.
In front of Sky Sports’ cameras, Rodgers got a hold of his furious forward and planted a hatchet-burying kiss on him before whispering some words of advice in his ear.
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Rodgers did not discuss the incident in detail after the game but he did offer some insight into what was said during the post-match embrace.
“I think for a wee minute he just lost his show of selflessness for the team,” Rodgers said.
“But he’s a good kid, he’s a good boy. All strikers are going to want to play 90 minutes but, for me, it’s about the team and I’m looking to protect him.
“I’m looking to protect Boyata and protect some of the offer players who didn’t play tonight in order to ensure the team is successful.
“But he’s a good boy, he’s a good lad and we’ll move on.”
