Sutton: Griffiths as valuable to Celtic as Larsson

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has hailed Leigh Griffiths as the most valuable player to the Hoops since Henrik Larsson.

Sutton was a team-mate and striking partner with one of the all-time Celtic greats under Martin O’Neill.

The two combined for over 300 goals during their time at Celtic and won the treble in 2000 for just the third time ever as well as the Road to Seville in the 2002/03 season.

Now it’s the turn of Leigh Griffiths to deliver the goals under the guidance of Norwegian manager Ronny Deila, who’s turned the 25-year-old into a goal machine.

Griffiths has scored 27 goals already this season in 32 appearances, surpassing last year’s total of 20 and one off his total at Hibernian in 2012/13.

In his column in the Daily Record, Sutton said:

I would say there is no figure. He’s absolutely priceless.

It doesn’t matter what offers come Celtic’s way over the next nine days and, in terms of his value to Ronny Deila, NO figure will be enough.

There hasn’t been a striker as valuable to Celtic since Henrik Larsson was playing.

And such is the form of the Scottish international that Sutton expects sides down south to bid for him, but they won’t come close to his current valuation.

Some of the figures down south are silly. Telephone numbers. My old club Blackburn are looking for £12 million for Jordan Rhodes.

Griffiths is one-and-a-half times the player Rhodes is, if not more.

The Scot said yesterday he is targeting 40 goals this season in the Hoops jersey and with his current scoring form, he could easily do that in the remaining games.