text: They see less of Leigh Griffiths on the streets of Leith now than they used to. He no longer plays for Hibernian for a start. Reinventing himself as Celtic’s top scorer, the front-page headlines are also less evident. If no one imagines he now spends his days train-spotting, the nights seem a little quieter than they once were. Leigh Griffiths celebrates scoring his third goal of the afternoon against Dundee United on Sunday . Hat-trick hero Griffiths takes the ball home following his heroics against Dundee at Tannadice Park . The 24-year-old (left) embraces his manager Ronny Deila after Sunday's convincing win . ‘Leigh used to put himself around in the Leith area,’ says Tam Currie, his former coach at boys club Leith Athletic. ‘Not that he was doing anything off limits. ‘But I’ve not spoken to him in a good while. Before you would see quite a bit of him round here. But we don’t see nearly as much of him now as we used to.’ It may be a conscious thing. Google the words ‘Leigh Griffiths and controversy’ in the same search and there are more answers than pubs on Leith Walk. In football people talk and older, wiser colleagues and managers whispered of a player with a reputation for being unmanagable. ‘There was never any doubt about the boy’s ability,’ says former Dundee manager Gordon Chisholm. ‘It was the off-field stuff that concerned you. He was a young boy when I had him. He was quiet, withdrawn at times, and wasn’ t exactly the life and soul of the dressing room. ‘He kept himself to himself - but he couldn’t get back to Edinburgh quick enough. ‘That seemed to be the case any time he got a day off. Any spare time and he wanted back to Leith to be with his mates, which probably wasn’t a good thing. 'I’m not sure he was doing the right kind of things. I’m sure he is now being guided by the Celtic management team.’ It has taken time, work and effort to get to a point where Griffiths can now boast 14 goals in his last 17 games. Griffiths celebrated his hat-trick with a trophy as he became Celtic's top scorer . Griffiths caused a stir when he first arrived at Hibernian but proved to be a fans favourite in the end . Griffiths celebrates scoring the winning goal for Hibs in the Scottish Cup semi-final in April 2013 . As a child, he stood out in Edinburgh amateur football. But concerns about the impact of his formative years on the company he kept prompted Hibs, his boyhood idols, to reject his talents. ‘It’s well known he could be a feisty character,’ recalls Tam Currie, a Leith Athletic committee member. ‘I go back with Leigh to when he was 12 and he was a lad who had to be looked after. ‘He came from a split family and you take on the role of social worker in that situation. But he was no different from the others in that regard. ‘He was like any other young lad. He had his troubles with different folk and what not.’ ‘Troubles with different folk’ is a polite way of summing up his career. Boldly, Neil Lennon took a gamble on signing him for £900,000 in January 2014. Celtic supporters were underwhelmed. Griffiths had accumulated yet more front-page cuttings from while on loan at Hibernian from Wolverhampton Wanderers following a racism row on social media. The doubts over his perceived shortcomings as a human being were amplified when he returned to Leith – where else? – to attend an Edinburgh derby as a Hibs fan. He was in a pub where offensive chants about Hearts and former Tynecastle attacker Rudi Skacel were filmed and posted on the internet. In October, he will stand trial on offensive behaviour at football. When the legal action is concluded one way or the other the SFA will revisit charges of bringing the game into disrepute. Griffiths was Wolves leading goalscorer in January of last year, scoring 13 goals in all . That attracted interest from Celtic though, with the Scottish striker penning a four-year deal with the Bhoys . The potential for embarrassment to Celtic is apparent and, perhaps for that reason, Lennon’s successor, Ronny Deila, appeared to make a judgement the player wasn’t worth the hassle. He was no one’s definition of a Deila 24-hour athlete. Yet the Norwegian’s attitudes to Griffiths began to soften when the player opted to drive three hours to play for Celtic’s development team against Sunderland of his own accord. Within days he was back in the first team, scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice. In the five months since, he has usurped John Guidetti in the starting XI and is now regarded as Deila’s most potent attacker. ‘He looks as if he has matured as a player,’ adds Chisholm, now a scout with Sunderland. ‘He never wanted to be an out-and-out striker when I had him at Dundee. He always drifted out into wide areas. ‘He still does that, but I think he has improved. His hold-up play and movement is better. ‘He is playing with good quality players, getting better service and I am hopeful he has turned a corner now.’ Bolton and Hibs wanted Griffiths on loan in the last window. The court case notwithstanding, however, his No 28 Celtic shirt looks a better fit now than it did even three months ago. ‘He is silencing a few critics now,’ says his former Leith coach Currie, with Griffiths having grabbed his second hat-trick of the season against Dundee United on Sunday. ‘The Celtic supporters didn’t fancy him much. There were certainly a few doubters there. ‘People here in this neck of woods was hoping he would end up back at Hibs on loan. ‘I’m delighted for him it didn’t come to that because I don’t think it would have been a good move for his career. ‘To be honest, I would take him over Steven Fletcher every time. ‘He is a better striker. I used to see Fletcher a lot when he played for Hibs and, all round, Leigh is a better player. ‘I read he still has a trial to go through for the pub incident - but he knows now he has to be on his best behaviour. You have to be to be a Celtic player. ‘I’ll tell him that if I see him again in Leith. But it looks to me now like he has turned the corner.’
target: Leigh Griffiths is making the right sort of noise with Celtic .
  As a youngster Griffiths had his fair share of controversy .
  Then Celtic manager Neil Lennon took a gamble signing him last year .
  Griffiths has been a real success for the Bhoys since - most notably scoring 14 goals in his last 17 games .