John Hughes insists he was "surprised" that Celtic offered striker Leigh Griffiths a new one-year deal.

There was some doubt about the 30-year-old striker’s Parkhead future following a frustrating 2020/21 campaign spent mainly on the bench as the Hoops finished the season trophyless.

Griffiths, who has scored 123 goals in 261 appearances for Celtic since signing from Wolves in January 2014, missed out on a place in Scotland’s Euro 2020 squad and recently became embroiled in a public spat with Neil Lennon, with the former Celtic boss doubling down on his criticism of the forward’s fitness last summer.

Hughes has no doubts over Griffiths' quality, but he feels his attitude must improve.

He told BBC Sportsound: "It surprised me a little bit. There's no doubting he's a natural goalscorer.

"That year he scored 40 goals, you think its going to be there every year, but that is never the case

"All the problems Leigh has had over the years - with the mental problems, and all that stuff, but mostly the indiscipline problems in terms of the fitness levels and stuff. That would have been a red flag for me.

"I can understand why [you would want to keep him] because he is a natural goalscorer but I just feel maybe you would be looking to keep moving it forward.

"Does it mean another striker is going? Edouard, maybe, could be on the cards to go so they need Griff?

"There's no doubt if you give him game time he will get you goals but will he take you where you really want to go?

"They have to do Rangers and they have to get better in Europe and I don't think he is up to that.

"Scottish society, we all like a beer and we all like our food, but you cannot come back a stone overweight.

"And if you are, you cannot blame anyone else, you have to look at yourself.

"It is Glasgow Celtic we are talking about, you have to come back spot on, ready to go and there was too much noise coming out of Parkhead last year. And there wasn't a whisper coming out of Ibrox.

"If we could get a Leigh Griffiths back to that [his goals against England] you have got a player but father time catches up with everyone.

"Nothing against him, he is a great kid, I know him personally and he is a lovely lovely lad.

"But I am saying to myself, should Celtic be going for better than that?"