He will take a break to battle his demons.
Leigh Griffiths has taken an indefinite break from football in order to overcome some personal issues.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the striker will be out of action for “a period of time”, while he fights an internal battle.
The manager said on Wednesday: “Leigh will be out of football for a little period of time. He’s had ongoing issues for a number of months. He’s reached a point where it’s a struggle for him.
“We are going to give him all the professional help he needs to get him back in a good place.
“He’s a great guy but football and life is tough for him right now. We want to help him with that and we’ll let you know when he’s back. I’m very close with him.
“We have a strong relationship but he’s had number of issues outside of football.
“The most important thing for managers and coaches is the welfare of players. It’s no longer a weakness to talk now. He has all of our support – the team, the staff and the supporters.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "He's reached a point where it's a struggle for him. We're going to give him all the professional help he needs to get back in a good place. The most important thing for managers is the welfare of players. It's no longer a weakness to talk."
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 12, 2018
Griffiths has struggled for form this season, scoring just two goals in nine games for the hoops.
But Celtic are on course to win yet another Scottish Premiership title, and have made the player’s health a top priority.
The 28-year-old striker has scored 104 goals in 198 games for Celtic since joining the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2014. Griffiths previously had spells with Hibernian, Dundee and Livingston.
He four goals in 19 appearances for Scotland.
BREAKING NEWS
Brendan Rodgers confirms Leigh Griffiths will be taken out of football for ‘a number of months’ due to personal issues
Rodgers says the club will provide "professional help that he possibly needs" to get him in a good place again https://t.co/p382kalAkv
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 12, 2018
