Gordon Strachan says Leigh Griffiths is “quirky” and a “first class” player, and doesn’t believe he withdrew himself from international duty as a response to Alex McLeish favouring Steven Naismith over him in attack. Strachan. The ex-Scotland boss, who has also managed Coventry City, Southampton, Celtic and Middlesbrough, believes the Celtic forward’s decision was genuinely to improve so he’s at a level where he can be an asset for his country.
Ahead of Scotland’s Nations League clash with Israel, Griffiths pulled out of the squad, citing a need to improve his fitness. McLeish had been utilising Naismith in attack and likely wouldn’t have started the Celtic man for the meeting, which many believed was why he withdrew himself in the first place.