| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leigh Griffiths | ||
| Date of birth | 20 August 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Hibernian (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
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| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hibernian | |||
| Falkirk | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2009 | Livingston | 47 | (22) |
| 2009–2011 | Dundee | 47 | (21) |
| 2011– | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 2011– | → Hibernian (loan) | 14 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Scotland U19[1] | 6 | (1) |
| 2008– | Scotland U21[2] | 10 | (2) |
| 2009– | Scotland B[3] | 1 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 December 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Leigh Griffiths (born 20 August 1990) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently on loan at Scottish Premier League side Hibernian from English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Griffiths started his career at Livingston where he made his debut as a sixteen year old. He then moved to Dundee in 2009 for £125,000. During his five years in the Scottish First Division he earned six player of the month awards. In 2011 with Dundee in financial trouble, he moved to Wolves for around £150,000.
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Griffiths made his debut for Livingston as a sixteen-year-old, after coming on as an 82nd minute substitute during a 3–1 defeat to Airdrie United on 30 December 2006.[4] He went on trial at Premier League team West Bromwich Albion in April 2009 and impressed enough to warrant a move. However, Tony Mowbray's departure as manager saw Griffiths' chance of a move ended.
On 25 June 2009, Griffiths completed a £125,000 move to Scottish First Division rivals Dundee,[5] despite having an offer rejected for the player back in April.[6] Griffiths later revealed that he had rejected contract talks with Hearts, citing his belief he would benefit from more first team football at Dundee and Hearts' then defensive playing style as the reasons.[7] In 2009-10 he scored 3 goals to help Dundee win the Scottish Challenge Cup. In January 2011 Livingston claimed that they have yet to receive payment from Dundee. Dundee denied the claim but it raised doubt over the future transfer of the player at the time.[8] Griffiths became a fans favourite during his spell at Dundee and scored 34 goals in 62 appearances, which included a memorable 30 yard free kick in the Scottish Cup against Rangers.
On 27 January 2011, Griffiths signed for English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers on a two-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee (believed to be £150,000), after he successfully completed a two week trial.[9] He was an unused substitute against Tottenham in March 2011, but has yet to feature in a league fixture for the club, or be part of any matchday squads since. To date, his only Wolves appearance was on 23 August 2011, when he came on as a substitute in a League Cup tie at Northampton Town.
To gain playing time, he moved on loan in August 2011 to Scottish Premier League club Hibernian until 9 January.[10]
Griffiths was selected for the Scotland B side that played Northern Ireland B at the end of the 2008–09 season, and he scored the third goal in a 3–0 win. He was a regular for Scotland at Under 19 level,[11] and has since been selected to play for the Under 21 team. His first goal for Scotland U21 was on his second call up on 2 March 2010 where he equalised against Azerbaijan after being brought on as a substitution just a minute earlier.[12]
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