Former Celtic and Scotland hero Leigh Griffiths signs for little-known club in Australian second division at age 34
His new club will be the ninth different team he has played for
NEW CLUB Former Celtic and Scotland hero Leigh Griffiths signs for little-known club in Australian second division at age 34
FORMER Celtic star Leigh Griffiths is on the move again.
The 34-year-old had spent the last three years playing for semi-professional outfit Mandurah City in Western Australia, stepping into a player-coach role for the 2024 season.
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Leigh Griffiths during his heyday for Celtic
Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow
Griffiths, who scored 123 goals for the Hoops in 261 appearances, also won 22 Scotland caps and hit the net four times for his nation (including two memorable free-kicks against England in 2017).
But his career in Scottish football ended on a sour note and he departed for Australia in August 2022.
Griffiths was loaned out to Dundee during his final contract year with Celtic but his stint was overshadowed by him kicking a smoke bomb into the crowd during a match.
He later joined Falkirk as a free agent but left after only six months, scoring twice in 12 games for the club who were then in the third tier.
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The striker has now signed for Stirling Macedonia Lions of the National Premier Leagues Western Australia (NPL WA) setup.
Nicknamed the Macies or the Macedonians, the club is based in Perth, Western Australia and finished fourth in the league last year.
That qualified them for the NPL WA Finals and they would go all the way to the Grand Final only to lose to top seeds and league winners Olympic Kingsway.
The National Premier Leagues operate on a regional structure below the A-League, the top flight of Australian football.
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Stirling Macedonia released a picture of Griffiths in club kit and he was named on the subs' bench straight away for their match against Perth Soccer Club.
A statement from Stirling Macedonia read: "We're delighted to officially welcome Leigh Griffiths to Stirling Macedonia!
The diggers move in as Celtic Park pitch is dug up
"A former Celtic FC player and Scotland international, Leigh arrives with a proven attacking pedigree and years of top-level experience. He adds genuine firepower to our front third and brings invaluable leadership to the squad.
"Welcome to the Stirling family, Leigh!"
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Keegan Ashley, the club's football operations manager, said: "What a pleasure it is to have someone of Leigh's experience join us at Stirling Macedonia.
"He brings genuine quality in the attacking third and will have a big impact not only on the pitch but off it as well—helping guide and mentor our younger players as they develop their game."
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Griffiths was unveiled by Stirling Macedonia this weekend
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