CELTIC STRIKER LEIGH Griffiths is taking a break from football “for a period of time” as he receives professional help to deal with personal issues.

Manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed today that the 28-year-old Scotland international will take an indefinite break to focus on himself.

In a stop-start season that has been disrupted by injuries, Griffiths has made 22 appearances and scored six times for the Hoops, while he withdrew from the Scotland squad to face Israel and Portugal in October to concentrate on his fitness.

This though, the boss said, is more than a football issue.

“Leigh has had ongoing issues for a number of months,” Rodgers said, as quoted by BBC.

“He has reached a point where it’s a struggle for him. We are going to give him all the professional help he needs to get him back in a good place.”

Rodgers declined to elaborate on the issues, labelling them “confidential”, but noted that the player “needs to find a happiness.”

“He’s a great guy but football and life is tough for him right now,” Rodgers added. “We want to help him with that and we’ll let you know when he’s back.

“I’m very close with him. We have a strong relationship but he’s had number of issues outside of football.

“The most important thing for managers and coaches is the welfare of players. It’s no longer a weakness to talk now. He has all of our support — the team, the staff and the supporters.”

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