Leigh Griffiths facts for kids
Griffiths playing for Celtic in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 August 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Leith, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Mandurah City (player-coach) | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2002 | Leith Athletic | ||
| 2002–2003 | Falkirk | ||
| 2003–2004 | Inch Colts | ||
| 2004–2006 | Hutchison Vale | ||
| 2006–2007 | Livingston | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2009 | Livingston | 48 | (22) |
| 2009–2011 | Dundee | 47 | (21) |
| 2011–2014 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 26 | (12) |
| 2011–2013 | → Hibernian (loan) | 66 | (31) |
| 2014–2022 | Celtic | 173 | (90) |
| 2021–2022 | → Dundee (loan) | 15 | (2) |
| 2022 | Falkirk | 12 | (2) |
| 2022– | Mandurah City | 35 | (20) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Scotland U19 | 6 | (1) |
| 2008–2012 | Scotland U21 | 11 | (3) |
| 2009 | Scotland B | 1 | (1) |
| 2012–2020 | Scotland | 22 | (4) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Leigh Griffiths (born 20 August 1990) is a Scottish professional footballer. He plays as a striker for the Australian club Mandurah City. He is also part of their coaching team.
Leigh started his football journey at Livingston when he was just sixteen years old. In 2009, he moved to Dundee. He was known for scoring many goals and won several young player awards. Later, in 2011, he joined Wolves.
While at Wolves, he spent time on loan at Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League. During this time, he became a very successful player. He even won the SFWA Footballer of the Year award and played for the Scotland national team for the first time. In 2014, he joined Celtic, one of Scotland's biggest clubs.
Griffiths scored many goals for Celtic and also for Scotland. He scored two important goals against England in 2017. After his time at Celtic, he played for Dundee again on loan, and then for Falkirk. In 2022, he moved to Australia to play for Mandurah City.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Leigh Griffiths was born in Leith, which is a part of Edinburgh, Scotland. He loved football from a young age.
Beginning at Livingston
Leigh made his first team appearance for Livingston when he was only sixteen. This happened on 30 December 2006. He came on as a substitute in a match against Airdrie United.
He played alongside future Scotland teammates Robert Snodgrass and Graham Dorrans during his early years at Livingston. In the 2007–08 season, he helped the youth team win the SFL under-19 League. He even had trials with clubs like Parma in Italy and West Bromwich Albion in England.
Moving to Dundee
On 25 June 2009, Leigh Griffiths joined Dundee for £125,000. This was a big move for him in the Scottish First Division.
He scored three goals during Dundee's journey to the 2009–10 Scottish Challenge Cup final. He played in the final match, which Dundee won 3–2 against Inverness. Leigh quickly became a favourite with the fans. He scored 34 goals in 62 games for Dundee. One of his most memorable goals was a 30-yard free kick against Rangers in the Scottish League Cup.
Time at Wolverhampton Wanderers
On 27 January 2011, Leigh signed with English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. The transfer fee to Dundee was about £150,000.
He made his debut for Wolves on 23 August 2011 in a League Cup game against Northampton Town. This was his only game for Wolves in his first two seasons there.
Loan to Hibernian
Instead of playing for Wolves, Leigh spent the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons on loan at Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League. This was a very successful period for him.
He scored a winning goal in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen in 2012. Overall, he scored 11 goals in 36 games for Hibs during that season.
His loan was extended for the next season. He started strong, scoring three goals early on, including two against St Mirren. He won the SPL Player of the Month award for August 2012. He scored 25 goals in all competitions that season.
His amazing performance earned him a nomination for Player of the Year and he won the Young Player of the Year award. He was also chosen for the SPL Team of the Year. In May 2013, he was named the SFWA Footballer of the Year, a big achievement for a Hibs player.
Joining Celtic
Leigh Griffiths signed a four-year contract with Scottish champions Celtic on 31 January 2014. This was a significant move in his career.
First Seasons at Celtic (2013–2017)
Leigh made his debut for Celtic in a 2013–14 Scottish Cup match against Aberdeen. On 22 February 2014, he scored his first goal for Celtic against Hearts. A week later, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 home win against Inverness. He ended his first season with 7 goals from 14 games for Celtic.
In the 2014–15 season, Leigh became a key player. He scored twice in a 6–0 win over Partick Thistle in the League Cup. On 1 February 2015, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win against Rangers in the League Cup semi-final. He scored a hat-trick against Kilmarnock in April, and another one against Dundee United. He finished the season with 20 goals.
For the 2015–16 season, Leigh took the number 9 shirt. He scored two goals against Swedish team Malmö FF in a Champions League playoff match. By early October, he had scored 10 goals in 18 games. He signed a new contract with Celtic until 2021.
On 15 January 2016, Leigh scored his 50th goal for Celtic. He was the fastest Celtic player to reach this milestone since Charlie Nicholas in the 1980s. He finished the season with an amazing 40 goals in all competitions, the first player to do so since Henrik Larsson in 2003–04. He was a vital player in Celtic winning their fifth league title in a row, scoring 31 goals in the league. His excellent form earned him several awards, including the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year.
In the 2016–17 season, Leigh scored in Celtic's Champions League qualifying match against Lincoln Red Imps. He also scored twice against Hapoel Beer Sheva. He helped Celtic complete an undefeated league season and win the Treble (winning the league, Scottish Cup, and League Cup).
Later Years at Celtic (2017–2022)
In the 2017–18 season, Leigh scored in a 2–0 win against Rangers in September 2017.
On 30 August 2018, Leigh scored his 100th goal for Celtic against FK Sūduva. He was the first player to reach this milestone since John Hartson thirteen years earlier. He signed a new contract with Celtic until 2022.
Leigh played less often for Celtic in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons. His contract with Celtic ended on 30 June 2021, but he signed a new one-year deal the next day.
Loan to Dundee (2021–2022)
On 31 August 2021, Leigh Griffiths went back to Dundee on a loan deal for the season. He made his second debut for Dundee on 11 September in a 0–0 draw with Livingston. He scored his first goal for Dundee in over ten years in a home win against Aberdeen. Celtic ended his contract on 31 January 2022, which also ended his loan at Dundee.
Joining Falkirk
On 8 February 2022, Leigh signed for Falkirk for the rest of the 2021–22 season. He left the club at the end of that season.
Playing in Australia with Mandurah City
In August 2022, Leigh moved to Australia and joined Mandurah City, a third-tier club. He scored a goal in his very first game for the team, nicknamed the Dolphins, in a league win.
He returned to Scotland briefly in October 2022. However, he went back to Australia and re-signed with Mandurah City in March 2023. In November, the club announced that Leigh would be a player-coach for the 2024 season, meaning he would both play and help coach the team.
Playing for Scotland
Leigh Griffiths has also played for his country, Scotland, at different levels.
Youth and Under-21 Teams
He was chosen for the Scotland B team in 2009. He helped set up one goal and then scored another in a 3–0 win against Northern Ireland B. He was a regular player for the Scotland under-19 team. Later, he played for the Scotland under-21 team, scoring his first goal for them in March 2010.
Senior National Team
Leigh was called up to the main Scotland squad in November 2012 for a friendly match against Luxembourg. His second cap for Scotland was in a 1–0 away victory against Croatia in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
On 10 June 2017, Leigh scored his first goal for Scotland with a free kick against England. He scored another free kick just three minutes later, putting Scotland ahead 2–1 in the game, which ended in a 2–2 draw. He scored more goals against Malta and Slovenia during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
He was part of the Scotland squad that won a play-off qualifier to reach Euro 2020. However, he was not chosen for the final squad for the tournament.
Career Achievements
Leigh Griffiths has won many awards and trophies throughout his career.
Livingston Youth
- SFL under-19 League: 2007–08
Dundee
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2009–10
Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Football League One: 2013–14
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Scottish Cup: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20
- Scottish League Cup: 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
Mandurah City
- Football West State League Division 1 Top Four Cup: 2022, 2023
Individual Awards
- PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Celtic Player of The Year: 2015–16
- SFWA Footballer of the Year: 2012–13, 2015–16
- SPL Player of the Year: 2012–13
- Scottish Premiership Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Scottish Football Supporters Association (SFSA) Player of the Year: 2016
- SPFA Young Player of the Year: 2012–13
- SFL Young Player of the Year: 2008–09, 2009–10
- SFL Young Player of the Month: March 2008, August 2008, March 2009, September 2009, October 2009, November 2010
- SPL Player of the Month: August 2012, February 2013
- SPFL Player of the Month: April 2015
- Scottish Premiership Player of the Month: August 2015, October 2015
- SFWA International Player of the Year: 2017–18
Images for kids
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Griffiths playing for Celtic in 2017
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Griffiths playing for Celtic in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Leigh Griffiths para niños
