He will take a break to battle his demons
Leigh Griffiths has taken an indefinite break from football in order to overcome some personal issues.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the striker will be out of action for “a period of time”, while he fights an internal battle.
💬 BR on @Leighgriff09: "Leigh will be out of football for a little period of time. He's had ongoing issues for a number of months. He's reached a point where it's a struggle for him. We are going to give him all the professional help he needs to get him back in a good place."
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 12, 2018
The manager said on Wednesday: “Leigh will be out of football for a little period of time. He’s had ongoing issues for a number of months. He’s reached a point where it’s a struggle for him.
“We are going to give him all the professional help he needs to get him back in a good place.
“He’s a great guy but football and life is tough for him right now. We want to help him with that and we’ll let you know when he’s back. I’m very close with him.
“We have a strong relationship but he’s had number of issues outside of football.
“The most important thing for managers and coaches is the welfare of players. It’s no longer a weakness to talk now. He has all of our support – the team, the staff and the supporters.”
It is believed that Griffiths has checked into rehab to fight a gambling addiction.
Griffiths has struggled for form this season, scoring just two goals in nine games for the hoops. But Celtic are on course to win yet another Scottish Premiership title, and have made the player’s health a top priority.
