BBC Pundit and former Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart believes Leigh Griffiths has found himself lucky in a sense to receive a new contract at the club.
Writing in his column for Sun Sport, Stewart thinks that with the position Celtic find themselves in at this stage, the 30-year old striker is in the right place at the right time to be given a fresh deal under the new manager.
“RIGHT place, right time.
“How often has that been said about Leigh Griffiths’ goalscoring over the years?
“Well, the same applies to the circumstances surrounding his new Celtic contract.
“Griffiths is lucky in the sense that his deal indicates where Celtic are right now.
“Put simply, they are chasing their tail — and he has benefitted by getting this final chance.
“The opening Champions League qualifier is just over two weeks away, and new boss Ange Postecoglou has a huge rebuilding job on his hands.
“Celtic’s squad has been decimated, the captain has left, and some of his best players want out.
“A new chief executive is in place, but there is no director of football or recruitment chief.
“So should anyone really be surprised that Griffiths was offered an extra year by Postecoglou? They have a guy who is a proven goalscorer — but has had his share of fitness troubles over the last few years.
“Had Celtic been better organised and had a structure in place for this summer, Griffiths could have found himself out the door.”
With the rebuild that the club will have to face this summer, I think Stewart definitely has a point in what he is saying.
Realistically, after last season if the squad was in good shape and our recruitment had been conducted in a better manner, there is a very high chance that Griffiths would have found himself not returning to the club.
So, it gives the 30-year old one final chance to prove whether he is up to the task or not.
Only time will tell as to whether this decision was a smart one to make, but at this stage, it is likely a much-needed body in an area of the park we need to recruit going into next season.
