Leigh Griffiths is hoping to hit the 20 goal mark as Celtic tie up the title.
At the turn of the year you’d have got good odds on the striker making 20 appearances but since the winter break in Gran Canaria he has emerged as Ronny Deila’s most important striker.
Yesterday’s hat-trick at Tannadice took his total for the season to 18- including two hat-tricks within a fortnight- with the variety in his goals making the former Wolves striker a constant threat.
“If I keep playing like this, I will, hopefully, hit the 20 mark,” he told the Evening Times from Tannadice..
“If you had asked me at the turn of the year if I was going to be the top goal scorer with four games to go, I would have laughed at you but it just shows how hard I have worked.
“I have changed the manager’s mind about me as a player, I’m reaping the rewards now, and so is he.
“Last season, I came in, scored a few goals and had a few assists, but I didn’t get as many goals as I’d have liked.
“I missed a few chances but now I am getting chances and putting them away.”
After a dull first half Griffiths opened the scoring two minutes after the break- firing a low shot beyond Rado Ciernziak after great build up play involving Stuart Armstrong, Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen.
Midway through the second half he was on hand in the six yard box to scramble the ball home after a Virgil van Dijk header came off the bar before collecting another match ball by scoring from the penalty spot.
