Scottish footballer Leigh Griffiths has recently found himself playing for the semi-professional Australian club, Mandurah City.
This marks a drastic drop for the player, who has gone from scoring goals in Europe and winning titles and cups to being turned away by pretty much every club around.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at Griffiths’ career, whom he’s currently playing for and what the future may hold for the striker. But first, let’s take a look at why it’s so important for footballers to play regular football.
Why Players Are Desperate For Game Time
Leigh Griffiths is only 31 years old; he should, if we’re honest, be at his peak.
Some players can maintain their performance levels up until the age of 40 and sometimes beyond.
Just look at Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for example.
There are a number of reasons why a player like Griffiths may decide to stoop to the semi-professional divisions.
One of the main motivations is that professional footballers only have so many years in their playing careers.
With Griffiths in his early thirties, the clock is ticking for him.
Some players may also decide to move to boost their chances of getting an international call-up.
This is especially the case during a World Cup year. We’ve already seen former Wolves Captain Conor Coady join Everton so that he can prove himself worthy of a World Cup spot.
The Qatar World Cup is only just around the corner, with the first game kicking off in November.
Betting sites are gearing up for what promises to be a unique international competition, with the World Cup Final taking place on 18th December, a week before Christmas Day.
You can already compare odds for the World Cup Finals and some sportsbooks have started offering special offers and deals that you can take advantage of.
About Leigh Griffiths
Leigh Griffiths began his footballing career at the age of sixteen when he played for Livingston. After three successful years with the club, in which he scored 22 goals in just 48 games, he signed for Dundee.
Griffiths was just as prolific for Dundee and that prompted Wolves to sign the Scottish forward for £150,000 in 2011.
At Wolves, he didn’t get the game time he’d have been hoping for, but still averaged a goal every three games. He was subsequently loaned to Hibernian and banged in an impressive 31 goals in 66 games.
Griffiths had proven his abilities as a clinical finisher and a handful for defenders to deal with. And having proven himself in the Scottish league, Celtic came calling.
Griffiths enjoyed a fruitful seven-year spell with Celtic, scoring 123 goals in 261 appearances—a fantastic record for a player with an impressive left foot.
Alongside his club career, he’s also played 22 times for Scotland and scored 4 goals.
But he spent 6 months out of the game in the 2018-19 season due to personal reasons.
His career never recovered after that and began to fizzle out.
Who Does Leigh Griffiths Play For Now?
Griffiths’ career has taken something of an unexpected dip.
Celtic made the decision to release the striker following an unsuccessful loan spell at Dundee.
He then dropped two divisions to play for Falkirk but failed to impress once again, scoring just twice in 12 games.
In July, Griffiths found himself without a club.
Training alone, he decided to turn to boxing to boost his fitness levels, but still, no club would take him.
That was until former Raith Rovers, St Mirren and Partick Thistle forward, John Baird, gave him a call. Baird manages the Australian third division side, Mandurah FC.
With two games to go in the league and the State League Final series looming, Griffiths agreed to sign. His first game will be against Joondalup United.
What Could The Future Hold?
Griffiths has spoken of his determination to prove to the world that he can still compete at the top levels of the game.
At just 31 years of age, he has plenty of game time left in him. Or he should.
He’s suffered no major injuries, yet commentators say that his career is finished.
This seems to have only fuelled Griffiths’ fire.
He recently told the BBC that he needs to “prove myself to people who keep doubting me” and that he’s “working as tirelessly as I can to get myself in the best shape”.
It’s clear that Griffiths has made mistakes in his career. He’s been working hard to put them behind him and now he’s been given a chance to do so. Maybe that’s all it will take to help him to get back on top.
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