123-goal ex-Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths and his 'highest level' search for new club

Leigh Griffiths believes he can still “cut it at the highest level” as the hunt continues for his next club.

The striker is a free agent. Last summer he signed a one-year contract extension with Celtic but was released half-way through the campaign after a loan spell with Dundee. The 31-year-old finished the season with Falkirk on a short-term contract.

He scored five times in 29 games but believes he can still get back up the leagues to prove himself again, working hard on getting to his fighting weight with a personal trainer.

Griffiths will point to a career of 239 goals at club level and another four for Scotland as he claimed to BBC he had "no idea” why no club or manager has taken a chance on him.

“There will be split opinions of, you know, is my career finished and do I need to drop down the leagues and play non-league or can I still cut it at the highest level," he said.

"For me, I can still cut it at the highest level and I still fully believe that and it's about getting that chance to prove myself again.

"I keep saying over the years that I need to prove myself to people who keep doubting me and it seems nowadays there's more and more. But nobody will be more thrilled to do it than me.

"It's about getting that chance and finding a manager that believes I can still cut it.”

Leigh Griffiths is on the hunt for a new club. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Griffiths has not ruled out making the move abroad.

He has spent his career in the UK with two spells at Dundee, Hibs, Wolves, Livingston and Celtic where he won a raft of trophies. In the 2015/16 campaign he scored 40 of his 123 Celtic goals.

"You need to look at every option," he said. “It's a dog eat dog world and everybody's fighting to get the best club and best contract they can and I'm no different.

"A lot of things have happened over the past couple of years and clubs might not want to be associated with me but I'm just working as tirelessly as I can.

"My agent is working extremely hard to get me a club whether that's here, in England or abroad. It's something I've got to consider massively.

"For me it's about trying to be the best you can be and playing at the highest level you can. I've scored at every level I've played at so it's about playing at the highest level.

"I think a manager's got to take a chance and whether that's a chance that they want to take or not, it's entirely up to them.

"As soon as a manager calls me up to say he wants a chat then they'll see I'm full focused, they'll see I'm ready to hit the ground running wherever I go."

Griffiths credits his agent with keeping motivated and his hopes high that he will be back scoring goals.

He said: "If I didn't have him backing me up, saying that he's working hard to find me the right club, I wouldn’t have it, I’d probably end up retiring.”