Leigh Griffiths is set to return to Celtic this week after taking time away to address personal issues.
Griffiths announced in mid-December that he intended to take a break from football and the Celtic striker responded to unsubstantiated rumours of addiction issues the following month by clarifying that “I am off work due to my mental health state.”
Celtic released a statement on Wednesday afternoon confirming the return of their popular forward, who will work with the club’s medical and sports science staff as he aims to return to the first team.
“I’d like to thank everyone for showing me such support across the past few months. I am so grateful to the club for everything they have given me and the way in which they have supported me so strongly,” Griffiths said.
#CelticFC today announced that striker @Leighgriff09 will be returning to the club this week to commence fitness and performance work at Lennoxtown.
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) March 27, 2019
“The Celtic supporters, too, have been a huge source of inspiration and strength for me and I want to thank them all sincerely for staying with me. I know it will be a long road back but I am ready to do all I can to get there.”
When Griffiths took his break, Brendan Rodgers was in charge at Celtic Park but he has now moved on to Leicester City and has been replaced by Neil Lennon.
Lennon, who spent five months working with Griffiths during his first spell in charge of Celtic, is looking forward to being reunited with the 28-year-old.
“We are really pleased that Leigh will be looking to get things going again at Lennoxtown and be making a phased return to training,” Lennon said. “In no way will we put any timescale on a possible return to the first-team. Instead, we will make sure we work with him on the best, most productive way forward.
"I just want to settle one thing" https://t.co/T4xXvYTXNp
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 6, 2019
“He will really be focusing on his own programme at the moment and then we will see what progress we make from there. We will not rush him in any way and we will allow him, of course, to take things slowly and at the pace he is comfortable with.
“As the club has been doing throughout the last period, we’ll continue to give Leigh every support to make sure that his health and well-being are our number one priority. We’ll work with him to ensure he has everything he needs to give him the chance to get back to where he was, but understanding totally that he will need time and space.
“It will be great to see him back, even at this very early stage, and we’ll make sure we give him our total support.”
