Wednesday 29 May 2019 20:04, UK
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths is set to return to first-team action during the club’s upcoming pre-season after taking time out of the game due to personal issues.
The 28-year-old has not featured for the Scottish champions since their 5-1 victory against Kilmarnock at Parkhead on December 8.
Griffiths watched his team-mates claim a historic 'treble treble', following victory over Hearts at Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup Final - but the Scottish international has admitted it hasn't been easy to not be involved.
"It has been a tough few months," he told Celtic TV. "Training myself, double sessions nearly every day.
"But I'm on the home straight now and not long to go before pre-season. I'm hoping to come back a lot fitter than I have done in previous starts to the campaign.
"Being in the gym nearly every day gives me that platform to get fitter and when I come back, I will be raring to go. Football has been my life and it has been for the past number of years."
Celtic will set off for a pre-season training camp at the end of June where they will play friendlies in both Austria and Switzerland, before the beginning of the new Scottish Premier League campaign.
"It was frustrating being off," Griffiths explained. "But my big focus was to come back mentally and physically stronger.
"From where I was in December to now is night and day, so hopefully when I pull that jersey on and step onto the pitch I will be firing on all cylinders."
