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RANGERS striker Kenny Miller has showered praise on Old Firm rival Leigh Griffiths – for the way Scotland’s goal-scoring hero performed the thankless lone striker task against England.
Griffiths grabbed the headlines with his sensational brace of free-kicks that almost snatched a famous win for the Scots against the Auld Enemy at Hampden.
But Miller reckons his Celtic counterpart, who finally got off the mark at international level, deserves huge credit for the way he performed on his own up front in a role Miller himself knows only too well from his days playing for Scotland.
The 69-times capped marksman said: “I’m delighted for Leigh that he’s opened his account, and what a way to do it.
“It’s just a shame it wasn’t the goals that got us the three points.
“But his all-round play was very good – he worked hard, from the very first minute when he closed the goalkeeper down and blocked it.
“Sometimes that’s all you’ve got to do when you’re that lone striker for Scotland, particularly when you’re playing the top teams.
VERY GOOD
“You’ve got a lot of hard work to do, and he was tracking back on to Eric Dier in the second-half to nick the ball off his toes.
“All round, for a lone striker, the number nine for Scotland, I thought it was a very good performance.”
Miller insists Griffiths has earned the opportunity to show what he can do for Scotland, and is thrilled the 26-year-old grasped it after starts against England and Slovenia in the last two World Cup qualifiers.
He added to STV: “I think Leigh’s been very, very good for the team over the last two or three games.
“He’s had to bide his time to get his opportunity. He was getting overlooked in favour of Chris Martin, Steven Fletcher, Steven Naismith, there were a lot of lads in front of him.
“But, for me, he’s deserved his chance.”
