Tag Futebol

The best team of the league stage. A team full of world-class allrounders. A bowling attack with all bases covered and a batting line-up with envious depth. A captain with more titles than you can count. But it all came down to one over that turned the WPL final on its heel and a team that was nearly knocked out two days ago lifted the trophy in front of a raucous crowd in Delhi.Sophie Molineux bowled a dream over of three wickets, Shreyanka Patil continued her stunning streak with a broken hand and Asha Sobhana ripped out two international allrounders in the space of three balls to see the three spinners combine for 9 for 46 in just 10.3 overs to script a Delhi Capitals collapse of 7 for 23 and 10 for 49 to bowl them out for 113. Having finished second from bottom last year, RCB turned their season around for their maiden WPL trophy that made Capitals the runners-up for a second straight year.The RCB line-up hardly had any nerves in the chase that required them to score at under run a ball. Smriti Mandhana anchored for 15 overs with risk-free batting and No. 3 Ellyse Perry pulled authoritatively for another classy batting show and even though it went down to the last over, Richa Ghosh smashed the third ball of it to long-off and avenge the tears of the one-run loss against Capitals from last Sunday.

Shafali starts with a shellacking

Capitals wouldn’t have seen the collapse coming especially after the powerplay they had. Shafali Verma’s swings down the ground powered them to their second-best powerplay score of 61 for 0 and her strokeplay looked ominious. She started by shovelling Molineux over long-on, Renuka Singh straight back and Perry also over long-on. When she deftly steered Perry’s slower one to the deep-third boundary, it was her first four after having smoked three sixes. Meg Lanning, meanwhile, struck consecutive fours to accelerate from 5 off 10 to go past run a ball.6:03

Mandhana lauds RCB’s fighting spirit and belief

Molineux rips through Capitals

Capitals were ramming their way towards a big total and since pace hadn’t worked early on, Mandhana brought back Molineux’s left-arm spin against the two right-hand batters. She got the big blow when Shafali went for another six but found Georgia Wareham at deep midwicket, the longest boundary on the night. With a lot of batting depth and Shafali’s 44 off 27, one wicket was not going to dent Capitals.Two balls later, Molineux slowed one down to Jemimah Rodrigues and the shot that fetches her a lot of runs – the sweep – sent her back for a duck when she went too far across and missed. Alice Capsey took a similar approach for her paddle, but she missed as well and bagged a golden duck after hearing the ball rattle the stumps behind her.Sixty-four for 0 became 64 for 3 in a one-run three-wicket over.

The RCB spinners pounce

With the crowd behind them, Mandhana attacked with spin from both ends. Patil kept it tight on the stumps, Molineux’s drift and accuracy stifled Capitals further and the boundaries dried up. Even though Patil nearly hung on to a rocket-like return catch of Marizanne Kapp just after the halfway mark, she more than made up for it by trapping Lanning two balls later for 23. Lanning reviewed, but having being struck in front on the back foot was not going to save her or the review.1:46

Jonathan Batty: ‘We didn’t do justice with the bat’

They still had time to consolidate for a competitive total like RCB did against Mumbai two days ago from 49 for 4. Jess Jonassen and Kapp had scored just five more runs together but both of them gave their wickets away in the space of three balls. After Kapp went against Asha’s legspin with a big swing to find long-on, Jonassen miscued completely to be caught not far from the pitch by Mandhana, whom Asha nearly collided into.Eighty-seven for 6 after 14, Capitals would have at least wanted to bat out the innings, but a ruthless RCB attack give them anything to breathe. Minnu Mani missed her sweep to fall lbw after breaking the boundary drought of 46 balls and Radha Yadav’s back-to-back fours against Wareham didn’t count for much eventually because her run-out summed up the Capitals innings. Patil snared the last two wickets in three balls to finish with stunning figures of 4 for 12 from 3.3 overs and the tournament on top of the wicket-taking charts with a tally of 13, followed by Asha and Molineux at 12 each.

Mandhana, Perry lead the chase

Mandhana and Sophie Devine were in no hurry to get to 114. They crawled to 25 for 0 in the powerplay with just three boundaries before Devine went after Radha’s first over as soon as the powerplay ended. She smashed three fours on leg with a six in between swung over long-off that reduced the equation to 71 off 78. Devine fell two overs later and Mandhana continued to play along the ground in the company of Perry’s solid strokeplay. As opposed to RCB’s dominance with spin, Capitals chose to bowl pace for 10 of the first 13 overs. Their 30 balls without a boundary were, however, not enough to make dents. Arundhati Reddy’s short length leaked two boundaries in an over and even though Mandhana holed out for 31, Perry and Ghosh wiped out the remaining 32 runs without leaving any room for another thriller.

Glenn Phillips provided a lesson on how to bat on a sharp turner, counterattacking his way to 87 off just 72 balls on the third day of the second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand. On a challenging pitch where almost every ball from the spinners was either turning square or keeping incredibly low, or both, Phillips had walked in at 46 for 5 on the first evening. His aggressive intent took New Zealand to 180, eight ahead of the hosts’ first-innings total of 172At stumps, Bangladesh were 38 for 2 in their second innings, 30 ahead of New Zealand. A late start and an early finish because of bad light meant only 32.3 overs were possible in the whole day.Gloomy conditions in Dhaka forced a late start, with play on Friday beginning two and a half hours later than scheduled. This was after rain had washed out the entire second day. With New Zealand on 55 for 5, and trailing by 117, overnight batters Phillips and Daryl Mitchell played contrasting roles to thwart Bangladesh, who predictably had left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowling in tandem.While Phillips seemed to be on the offensive as early as the second over of the day, Mitchell remained content to block. Often standing deep in the crease, Phillips slashed hard at deliveries that were even slightly short and outside off, and swung across the line against the ones that were full and in the line of the stumps.In the second over of the day, he punched Mehidy for four to deep point, before slog-sweeping and driving him for further boundaries in the 16th. In between, he was beaten by Taijul twice while looking to push at deliveries that were turning away, even as the ball stayed low or skidded through.But the conditions mattered little for Phillips. And despite Bangladesh having multiple fielders on the leg-side boundary – deep-backward square leg and deep midwicket were in place most of the time – he continued attacking. His first six came in the 18th over when Mehidy bowled one full on the pads, and he slog-swept it over deep square leg.Mahmudul Hasan Joy fell in the first over of Bangladesh’s second innings•AFP via Getty Images

At the other end, Mitchell took a good stride forward to get to the pitch of the ball to defend the full deliveries. Even when he stepped out, he only looked to nudge them away. In the 20th over, he attempted a reverse sweep off Mehidy and the ball popped up to short leg. The on-field umpire ruled it in the batter’s favour, and when Bangladesh reviewed it, replays showed the ball had hit Mitchell just below the left shoulder.In the next over, Mitchell also had a slice of luck when he leaned into a drive against Taijul, got an outside edge and the ball fell just short of the slip fielder. Bangladesh introduced Nayeem Hasan into the attack from the other end. Phillips launched his first ball over deep-backward square leg for six, but three deliveries later, Nayeem got Mitchell.With a mid-off in place, Mitchell stepped out to hit Nayeem over his head but didn’t get the required distance. Mehidy, halfway back at long-on, ran across to his left and dived sideways to complete the catch. Mitchell fell for 18, ending a sixth-wicket stand of 49 off 60 balls with Phillips.Nayeem also had Mitchell Santner nicking to slip in his second over, reducing New Zealand to 97 for 7. But Phillips kept going, with even umpire Rod Tucker not being spared. In the 26th over, he pulled one forcefully towards square leg where the ball hit Tucker just above his left knee. In the same over, he hit Nayeem for a six and a four. The boundary brought up his half-century, off just 38 balls.He and Kyle Jamieson added 55 off only 53 deliveries, of which Jamieson contributed 20. Phillips and Tim Southee then took New Zealand past Bangladesh’s total before the innings came to an end. The visitors’ last five wickets smashed 134 runs at a run rate of 5.25, the highest for 100 or more runs for the last five wickets where the first five fell within 50 runs (where data is available).Ajaz Patel then had Mahmudul Hasan Joy nicking to slip the third ball of Bangladesh’s second innings. Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto stroked a few boundaries after that, before Shanto chipped Southee to mid-off in what turned out to be the penultimate ball of the day.

Chelsea enlisted the help of clueless passers-by to announce their Premier League 2025-26 fixture schedule.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Chelsea helped by passers-by to announce fixturesFans identified Man Utd as Real MadridBlues face Crystal Palace in season openerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The countdown to a new Premier League season is on as the league announced the fixtures for the 2025-26 campaign on Wednesday morning. Gameweek 1 kicks off on August 15 with reigning champions Liverpool facing Bournemouth at Anfield. The Blues will play their first match of the season against Crystal Palace on August 17. As the fixtures came out, the West London side hilariously took the help of clueless passers-by in the US to announce their schedule for the new season. Some of the fans made wild guesses about the names of the Blues' opponents. While one fan called Bournemouth's logo 'Mermaid', another fan called Manchester United, Real Madrid!

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea have been handed a relatively easy start compared to the other giants of the English top flight, as they will face only one 'big side' side – Manchester United – in their first six league matches. Following their clash against Palace, the Blues are scheduled to take on West Ham, Fulham, Brentford and Brighton, as well as the Red Devils.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Enzo Maresca's side will be back in action in the Club World Cup on Friday as they take on Flamengo.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been dealt an injury blow, as it has been revealed that a “difference maker” in his squad will be out for “weeks”.

Bukayo Saka returns in boost for Arsenal

Star winger Bukayo Saka had been sidelined since December with a hamstring injury, but in a major boost for Arteta, the England international has returned to the fold and just in time for their looming Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

Arsenal now planning to offer £50m for "incredible" Mbappe-esque striker

The Gunners have set their sights on a new forward.

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 1, 2025

A good run in Europe is Arsenal’s only chance to make anything of this otherwise disappointing campaign overall, with the Gunners all but out of the Premier League title race as Liverpool seize a huge gap at the top of the table.

Saka, who’s racked up an incredible nine goals and 14 assists in all competitions for the north Londoners this season, despite missing many games lately, will provide a serious injection of threat on the right-hand side and give Arsenal a much greater chance of getting past Real.

“Bukayo is ready to go,” said Arteta in Arsenal’s pre-match press conference before Fulham.

“All the careful things he’s already done. So now it’s about putting him in the grass in the right moments. But he’s pushing because he really wants it. We have respected the timeframe, we have done everything and we have had to hold him back even. So he’s ready to go.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games	Date
Fulham (home)	April 1st
Everton (away)	April 5th
Brentford (home)	April 12th
Ipswich Town (away)	April 20th
Crystal Palace (home)	April 26th

“It’s another massive weapon that we have with him. We know the impact that he’s had on the team and how important his role and his contribution are to our success. So it’s great to have him back.”

The £195,000-per-week star’s return also helps to mitigate the losses of fellow attackers Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, who are both out of action with long-term injuries.

Havertz will miss the remainder of 2024/2025 after a hamstring injury, while some reports suggest Arsenal won’t have Jesus back until 2026.

Riccardo Calafori out for "weeks" after Arsenal injury update

Unfortunately for Arteta, amid Saka’s comeback, there is some bad news regarding defender Riccardo Calafiori.

The centre-back picked up an injury on international duty with Italy, and it is now expected that Calafiori will be out for “weeks” at Arsenal. Sharing an update, Arteta also suggests it could be longer, although he’s hoping that won’t be the case.

“Riccardo, unfortunately, picked up an injury again with the national team,” said Arteta.

“It was really unfortunate the way it happened, but it could have been much worse, so hopefully it’s going to be a matter of weeks. But we’ll have to see how that injury evolves.

“They’re two injuries that were picked up with the national team. One, it was a kick, and the other one is a really bad turn, twist when he slips with the surface. And the other one, it was muscle. But the main two injuries that he had, the was very little he could do, so very unfortunate.”

The £42m signing from Bologna last summer has proved very useful for Arteta when fit and available, with Football Analyst Ben Mattinson even calling him a “difference maker” in attack at times.

Over 26 appearances in all competitions, Calafiori has helped to provide quality at both left-back and centre-back, but Arteta will be hoping he’s a bit more lucky next season when it comes to availability.

Chelsea have now joined the race to sign a £43m striker, who is also being targeted by a number of other Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Blues making moves to sign new attackers

As we edge closer to the summer transfer window, the Blues have started to step up their pursuit of new forwards, having now opened talks to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, amid the uncertainty surrounding Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho’s futures.

Madueke has emerged as a target for AC Milan, with the Italian club lodging a £33m bid for the England international, while there have been widespread reports that Sancho could be sent back to Manchester United, if Enzo Maresca’s side pay a £5m fee.

Not only are the west Londoners keen on strengthening out wide, but they are also well-known to be interested in a new striker, and Jon Obi Mikel recently revealed Napoli’s Victor Osimhen “really wants” to move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Related Chelsea willing to bid £60m+ for "extraordinary" star who is ready to move

Enzo Maresca is looking to take advantage of his situation this summer.

Posts 1 BySean Markus Clifford Mar 23, 2025

Other options include Premier League stars Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, with a pre-summer bid for the Englishman believed to be in the works.

There is no shortage of strikers on the shortlist, but Chelsea have now joined the race for another forward, with a report from Viola News revealing they are now closely monitoring Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, who is a subject of interest for several English clubs.

Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are also in the race for Kean, who has a €52m (£43m) release clause in his contract with the Italian club, which is starting to look like a bargain fee.

The Italian recently bagged two goals for his national side against Germany, which has thrust his name back into the spotlight, and there is a feeling £43m could be way below his actual value.

"King of kings" Kean impressing for club and country

The Italy international made a real statement by scoring a brace against Germany on Sunday evening, and he has also been extremely impressive at club level this season, picking up 20 goals and three assists in all competitions.

The former Everton man is showing real signs of development this season, with football writer Mina Rzouki claiming “his performances just keep getting better”, while also dubbing the 25-year-old the “king of kings”.

It looks like the striker’s career could finally be taking off, having been inconsistent in the past, failing to adapt to life in England during his time with the Toffees, while also struggling to regularly provide goals for Juventus over the past three seasons.

While his previous spell in England will be a concern, it is exciting news that Chelsea are in the race for Kean, and if he is able to maintain his current levels of performance, £43m could prove to be a bargain fee.

Everything you need to know about Geovany Quenda's salary details playing for Sporting CP

Portuguese sensation Geovany Quenda made his senior debut with Sporting CP at just 17 years old after impressing with the youth team and during pre-season under Ruben Amorim in 2024. The youngster earned high praise from Amorim for his ball-playing ability and maturity on the field.

Despite his age, Quenda has featured as a regular starter throughout the 2024-25 season, excelling in the right wing-back role with strong performances both offensively and defensively.

It didn’t take long for top European clubs to take notice, but it was Premier League side Chelsea that ultimately secured his signature. Quenda is set to move to Stamford Bridge for the 2025-26 season.

Given his youth, Quenda's current salary at Sporting CP remains relatively modest compared to more senior players. However, a significant pay raise is expected upon his move to Chelsea.

So, exactly how much does the future Chelsea star currently earn playing in Portugal?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

*

Geovany Quenda's wages at Sporting CP in numbers

Geovany Quenda, a Portuguese player, has a contract with Sporting that provides him a weekly salary of £7,783 ($10,332) and an annual salary of £404,732 ($537,267). He is among the lower-paid players in the Sporting team.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Pounds

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in Pounds

Annual wages in USD

Geovany Quenda

Portuguese

£7,783

$10,332

£404,732

$537,267

AdvertisementAFPTop earners at Sporting CP

Francisco Trincao earns the most at Sporting CP.

Next are Viktor Gyokeres and Pedro Goncalves in second and third places, respectively.

Fourth is Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand, with Jeremiah St Juste rounding out the top five.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Pounds

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in Pounds

Annual wages in USD

Francisco Trincao

Portuguese

£63,775

$85,508

£3,316,306

$4,446,441

Viktor Gyokeres

Swedish

£39,246

$52,621

£2,040,804

$2,040,271

Pedro Goncalves

Portuguese

£39,246

$52,621

£2,040,804

$2,040,271

Morten Hjulmand

Danish

£32,705

$43,851

£1,700,670

$2,280,226

Jeremiah St. Juste

Dutch

£31,907

$42,096

£1,632,643

$2,189,017

Top earners in Liga Portugal

Four of the five highest-paid players in Liga Portugal are from Benfica.

Renato Sanches is the highest-paid, followed by Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP.

Anatoli Trubin, Angel Di Maria, and Arthur Cabral are third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in Pounds

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in Pounds

Annual wages in USD

Renato Sanches

Benfica

£113,610

$151,723

£5,884,318

$7,889,583

Francisco Trincao

Sporting CP

£63,775

$85,508

£3,316,306

$4,446,441

Anatoli Trubin

Benfica

£62,957

$84,412

£3,273,789

$4,389,435

Angel Di Maria

Benfica

£62,957

$84,412

£3,273,789

$4,389,435

Arthur Cabral

Benfica

£62,957

$84,412

£3,273,789

$4,389,435

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPHighest paid players in the world

No players from Liga Portugal are among the top five highest-paid worldwide, despite their high earnings.

The top five are from the Saudi Pro League, with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr earning the most.

Karim Benzema, formerly of Real Madrid, is second, and Riyad Mahrez, now with Al-Ahli, is third.

Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are fourth and fifth, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

$4,210,425

£167,250,468

$218,942,120

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

$2,105,213

£83,625,234

$109,471,060

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

$1,098,921

£45,652,372

$57,43,893

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

$842,085

£33,450,094

$43,788,424

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

$730,509

£29,017,956

$37,986,458

Over the last couple of months, Arsenal have endured somewhat of an injury crisis in the final third, leaving Mikel Arteta with limited options at his disposal.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka have all spent time on the sidelines in 2025, subsequently having an impact on the Gunners’ Premier League title chances.

The side currently sits second but are a staggering 15 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool with just 10 games remaining – making their chances of ending their two-decade drought extremely slim.

After such a drought, it’s no surprise that the fanbase are craving success, especially when the side have finished runners-up in the two previous campaigns – looking likely to do so once again this year.

If they are to take that next step, the hierarchy and incoming sporting director, Andrea Berta, need to back the manager in the summer, potentially targeting one player with the added investment that could fall Arteta’s way.

Arsenal scouting talent ahead of the summer transfer window

According to Sky Germany, Arsenal are one of multiple English sides who have been scouting Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké ahead of the summer transfer window.

Newcastle United and Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in landing the Frenchman, who has caught the eye in the Bundesliga throughout the campaign.

The 22-year-old has scored 18 times and registered six assists in his 36 appearances to date, sitting as the seventh top scorer in the division at present.

It’s unclear how much a deal for Ekitike would set the Gunners back, but the report does state that he wants a move to England, with the importance of the side being in the Champions League – potentially handing them a huge chance of landing the star.

Any move for the former PSG star could end their pursuit of another talent who’s been constantly linked with a move to the Emirates over the last couple of months.

How Ekitike compares to Isak in 2024/25

Alexander Isak is a player who’s been firmly on the Gunners’ radar in recent times, but as yet, they haven’t been able to strike a deal for Newcastle United’s star man.

Arteta’s side were previously quoted a fee in the region of £150m for the Swedish international, potentially pricing them out of any potential move for his services this summer.

However, his goalscoring exploits are there for all to see, registering 57 goals in his 99 appearances for the Magpies – including 22 in all competitions this campaign.

His goals have had a huge impact on the Gunners’ potential success, with his goal in the Carabao Cup semi-final helping dump Arteta’s side out of the competition.

There’s no denying that his quality in the final third would bolster the current first-team side, but Ekitike could provide a cheaper alternative to the 25-year-old – potentially offering just as much of an impact should he move.

The Frenchman has been ranked as a similar player to Isak by FBref, an understandable comparison when delving into their respective stats from the ongoing season.

Ekitike, who’s previously been described as the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, may have registered slightly fewer combined goals and assists but has notched more shots on target per 90, showcasing the danger he possesses in the final third.

How Ekitike compares to Isak in 2024/25 so far

Statistics (per 90)

Ekitike

Isak

Games played

24

25

Goals & assists

16

24

Progressive carries

3.1

2.8

Shots on target

1.6

1.3

Pass accuracy

78%

74%

Take-ons completed

1.9

1.5

Aerials won

41%

33%

Stats via FBref

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90, whilst also coming out on top in more aerial battles, potentially being a more all-round number nine – something which the Gunners have craved in recent years.

Whilst Isak will remain the number one option for the majority of supporters, Ekitike has demonstrated he holds serious quality and could be another superb option for the club in attacking areas.

Given his goalscoring record in 2024/25, there’s no doubt he will cost a pretty penny in the summer, but given his desire to move to England, it could be a chance worth taking in their quest for Premier League glory.

Related He left in 2022: Arsenal icon is now playing like Isak after leaving for £0

The incredible record-breaker was a force of nature for a time at Arsenal.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 11, 2025

Celtic supporters have been treated to a great number of high-class centre-forwards at Parkhead over the years.

Right now, Daizen Maeda is the top-scorer in the squad, taking his tally to 52 goals for the club, coming in just 145 appearances, during Saturday’s surprise defeat at Easter Road against Hibernian.

Meanwhile, one of the Hoops’ best strikers of recent decades now, at the age of 34-years-old, finds himself in the footballing wilderness despite some comparisons to the great Henrik Larsson.

Henrik Larsson's Celtic legacy

According to a supporters’ vote conducted in 2002, Larsson is Celtic’s best-ever foreign player, and the numbers underline why.

The Swede scored a remarkable 224 goals in 292 games for the club between 1997 and 2004, winning four league titles, four domestic cups and reaching the UEFA Cup final of 2003.

Graham Ruthven, speaking on the Soccer 101 Podcast, described Larsson as ‘legitimately one of the best strikers in the world’, adding that a player of such talent ‘would never’ stay in Scotland for as long as he did these days, believing him to be the best player Scottish football has seen in the post-SPL era; 1998 to present day.

Given his legacy, any Celtic centre-forward who hits a bit of form is handed the “best striker since Larsson” tag, so let’s assess the club’s top-scoring centre-forward of the post-Larsson era.

2014-22

262

123

51

118

2017-21

179

87

38

140

2021-25

165

85

19

126

2010-13

138

82

30

136

2010-16

192

76

62

172

2007-10

121

59

18

159

2022-present

145

52

25

194

2016-18

94

51

18

121

His strike in Leith over the weekend took Maeda one clear of Moussa Dembélé in this ranking, still 33 goals shy of his compatriot Kyōgo, while the player with both the most goals and best minutes-per-goal ratio post-Larsson can currently be found in the footballing wilderness.

Former Celtic striker now in Australian lower leagues

As the table above outlines, Leigh Griffiths is Celtic’s highest-scorer since Larsson, netting 123 times for the club between 2014 and 2022, and his time in Glasgow was eventful, to say the least.

The striker joined the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported £1m in January 2014, scoring seven goals in just 13 Premiership appearances during his first half-season at Parkhead.

He was described by former Scotland striker Billy Dodds as a “natural finisher”, but while the goals flowed, controversies were almost as frequent.

Griffiths was charged by UEFA for ‘provoking spectators’ during a Champions League qualifying victory over Linfield in Belfast, tying a scarf to the goal post. He was also fined by the SFA for racist chanting in an Edinburgh pub, before being disciplined internally by Celtic for breaching Covid-19 lockdown rules, to name but a few.

Despite all of this, he won over the entire nation by scoring two, near-identical free-kicks for Scotland against the ‘auld enemy’ England at Hampden in June 2017.

Nevertheless, following Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as Celtic manager in the summer of 2022, Griffiths’ contract expired but, after a very brief spell at Falkirk, he has found a home down under.

Now 34-years-old, the striker plays for Mandurah City, based in Western Australia, who ply their trade in the Football West State League Division 1, part of the third tier.

Goal-scoring statistics are difficult to find, believe us when we say we tried, but we do know Griffiths is now a player-coach at the Dolphins, so it’s good to see such a talented player has found a home and is enjoying his career.

Sold for £2.5m, now worth 300% more: Celtic may rue selling Engels upgrade

There are many former Celtic players thriving in the Premier League right now, but one in particular has become the division’s “best ball-winner”.

1 ByBen Gray Feb 24, 2025