Former Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has at last found himself a new club and has had to go to the other side of the world to achieve his target to continue playing football this season. His destination is Australia but not to one of the top club’s in the A-League but instead to minnows Mandurah City, a club few of us will have ever heard of.
Mandurah City are clearly delighted to bring in the former Celtic and Scotland striker as you can see in their ‘Marquee Signing Announcement’, below.
26th January 2022; McDiarmid Park,, St Johnstone versus Dundee FC; Leigh Griffiths of Dundee during the warm up.Photo: ActionPlus David Young
MARQUEE SIGNING ANNOUNCEMENT
Mandurah City Football Club are delighted to announce that former Scotland and Celtic forward Leigh Griffiths will be joining the club.
The experienced 31 year old striker is a proven goal scorer in the Scottish Premier League and on an International level.
Born in Edinburgh, Griffiths’ senior career commenced at the age of 16 for Livingston FC. He then went on to play for Dundee, Wolverhampton Wanderers & Hibernian before signing for Celtic where he made over 200 appearances scoring over 115 goals. Throughout Leigh’s career so far, multiple awards have been won which include PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League Player of the Year & Scottish Football Writers Player of the Year.
Leigh represented Scotland at an under-19 and under-21 level and was part of the squad that reached the 2011 UEFA Under-21 Championship play-offs, narrowly losing out to Iceland. With his undoubtable talent Leigh went on to make 22 appearances for his country, scoring 4 goals including the 2 well known free kicks against England in 2017.
Mandurah Head Coach John Baird is thrilled to have completed the services of the Scotsman for the remainder of the year. Leigh is undoubtedly one of the biggest signings in not only Mandurah’s history, but one of the biggest in Australian NPL & State League football history.
These words were echoed by Mandurah City President Nigel Mann. “It sums up where the club is currently at and the hard work we have put in over the years” he said.
Leigh will play the last 2 home games of the season in the famous Black & White. Welcome to Mandurah Leigh!
That last sentence states that Griffiths will play two home games of the season but earlier they say that they have secured his services for the rest of the year. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
: Leigh Griffiths of Celtic celebrates following his sides victory in the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park Stadium on September 2, 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
“What on earth, as an Aussie living in Glasgow, let me inform you, he has just signed in the Australian 3rd division (Very likely cashed up local club) in Western Australia. NPL1 which is the second division is probably the equivelent to Scottish League 2; and he’s in the league below that. Fair dinkum mate.” Daniel James on the ‘C’Mon the hoops’ Facebook Group.
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