New Bhoy: This is the chance of a lifetimeLEIGH Griffiths took his first look of Paradise tonight as a Celtic player and then declared his delight at joining the biggest club in Scotland. The 23-year-old has penned a four-year contract with the champions after his move from Wolves was finalised just hours before the January transfer window slammed shut.
And addressing the media at his official unveiling, the new Bhoy said: "I´m just delighted it´s finally done now. It´s been a long day and I just can´t wait to get started tomorrow in training.
"It was in the middle of December that I first found out there was interest and as soon as the window opened I was just praying for it to be done.
"It has gone to the last day but it´s finally done now, and I´m delighted. The chance to come to Celtic is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you have to grab it with both hands. You can´t turn it down.
"I have left a very good club down at Wolves but now I am coming to the biggest club in Scotland and you can´t turn a chance like that down.
"I am coming to the biggest club in Scotland to win things, hopefully play in the Champions League and just get better as a player.
Griffiths bagged 28 goals for Hibernian last season and was awarded Scotland´s Young Player of the Year prize, underlining his credentials as one the rising stars in domestic game. And now he´s determined to prove his worth to the Celtic supporters by doing what he does best â finding the back of the net.
"Everybody is entitled to their own opinions but it´s the manager who has brought me in and it´s up to me to show the fans what I can do," said the striker.
"It´s down to me to get my head down, work hard and go out there and show everyone I can score goals and win everybody over. I have 13 so far this season and hopefully if I can break into the team and can add to that."
The Scottish internationalist is Neil Lennon´s third signing of the winter transfer window, following the arrivals of Holmbert Fridjonsson and Stefan Johansen. And Griffiths can´t wait to start working under the Irishman and help bring further success to the Hoops.
"The gaffer has been very supportive to me in the press so far and he knows what I can do," he said. "That´s why he has brought me to the squad and hopefully I can add goals and help the team win trophies.
"The first time I spoke to Neil was this morning at the training ground and he was very easy to talk to - he said what he wanted from me and I told him what I would bring to the team. He´s happy that he has brought me in and I can´t wait to get going.
"We have good strikers here, but the manager sees me as a good player and hopefully I can force my way into the team and stay there.
And Griffiths hopes he add to his Scotland caps by playing at the highest level with the Bhoys, and he would relish a crack at the UEFA Champions League.
"I have only played a handful of games for Scotland and I don´t think I have done myself any justice so far," he said. "But there is no bigger place to play than in the Champions League and hopefully in six months time I will be doing that."
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