FORMER Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster has pinpointed his old team-mate Leigh Griffiths as the man England will need to watch out for at Hampden on Saturday. Forster is looking forward to being reunited with several of his former Parkhead pals after Saturday’s World Cup qualifier at Hampden and believes stopping Griffiths will be key to England’s success.

 

The striker is still awaiting his first international goal after 12 caps but Forster, one of three England goalkeepers in the squad for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier, believes Griffiths is someone the visitors would need to keep close tabs on.

 

He said: “Leigh is a fantastic player. He has got pace to stretch defences but he can also score from anywhere. He has got a great left foot and can hit target from outside or inside the box. He’s a very tough player to play against. It just takes half a chance or a split-second and he can punish you. He is definitely one player we need to really concentrate on to make sure he doesn’t get that chance.

 

“You have make sure you are switched on the whole time when you are playing. He has a very short back-lift when he is shooting so he can get the ball away quickly. As a defender or a back four, you can think you have got him in a good position. Then, in a split-second, he can shift the ball and hit it. That is something that is always going to test people.”

 

Forster also had words of praise for Craig Gordon, the man who succeeded him as Celtic’s number one and who will almost certainly start for Scotland this weekend.

 

“It’s been fantastic for Craig,” he added. “We only had a few weeks together at the time but I knew the type of keeper he was before the injuries. He still had it. It was just a case of getting up to speed.

 

“That’s finding what training was best for him, what load of training was best him. You look at the transfer fee he went for a few years ago to Sunderland. That was a while ago and a lot of money at the time, which shows you he’s a great ‘keeper.

 

“Craig did well in England and he’s got a great habit of keeping the ball out of the net. He’s been working with Stevie Woods [the Celtic goalkeeping coach] and you have no doubts that whatever goalkeeper is in at Celtic, he will get the best out of them and take them to the top of their game.

 

“Craig’s been superb. He’s worked so hard and very few players would be able to come back from that length of injury and that time with so few games. It tells you the character and mental strength that he has.”

 

Forster smiles at the mention of Scott Brown’s name, his captain at Celtic and the man who will also lead Scotland at Hampden on Saturday. The midfielder has now spend a decade at Parkhead but Forster has no doubts he would have thrived had he taken the chance to move to England.

 

“He is a top player,” he added. “You can see what he has done for Celtic and for Scotland. There is absolutely no reason why he couldn’t have done it down here. It’s just his character, the way he goes out and approaches every game, the fact he gives 100 percent in every game and leads by example.

 

“When times are tough he always stands up and drags people along with him. It was the same around the training ground. He was always a good laugh but as soon as training started it was always about winning for Scott. Those are the sort of people you want to have in your team. He makes everyone lift their own standards.”

 

Forster also played with James Forrest and Charlie Mulgrew during his four years at Celtic and revealed he is still in touch with many of them. And he has been following their progress this season under Brendan Rodgers.

 

He added: “I know quite a lot of the lads and it’ll be a bit strange for me as it’s probably the first time I have faced most of them since leaving Celtic. It’ll be a fantastic game and a great night.

 

“We had a great group of lads when I was there, folk like Joe Ledley, Gary Hooper and Charlie Mulgrew as well. We had such a togetherness within the squad and that was fantastic. If you’ve got that it makes life on the pitch a lot easier.

 

“I still speak to them quite a bit, especially Scott and Jamesie. It’ll be a strange one. When they have been your team-mates for so long and then you head back to Scotland to face them, it’ll be great to see them.

 

“You look at the Celtic season and it’s been fantastic. Brendan Rodgers has gone in there and they have really moved forward as a team and with the style of football that they are playing. They won a Treble and finished unbeaten domestically, it’s incredible and it’s quite right there will be a big chunk of Celtic players in that Scotland team.”