FORMER Scotland internationalist James McFadden hopes the penny has dropped for Leigh Griffiths now that the striker no longer has the 'safety net' of a Celtic contract to fall back on.

The 31-year-old is on loan at Dundee and had his Parkhead deal torn up earlier this month, meaning Griffiths will become a free agent at the start of next month.

Dens Park boss James McPake is believed to be keen on keeping a hold of the centre-forward for the remainder of the campaign but the board may be unwilling to sanction a move as Griffiths has only provided three goals in 17 outings.

McFadden insists that Griffiths' future is in his own hands as we backed the striker to win a contract at Dundee.

"The biggest thing for Leigh Griffiths now is he doesn't have the safety net of a long contract at Celtic," McFadden told Sky Sports.

"James McPake says he wants what's best for Griffiths, he's going to try to get the best out of him.

"But it doesn't matter who's trying to get the best out of him - it's down to him, whether he gets the best out of himself.

"It's good that the manager has put confidence in him but it's all down to him. He's got an opportunity to get back fit and show that he can still score goals.

"It's great that he's getting that support but he's always had it. He's had it at Celtic for the last four or five years, all throughout his struggles.

"But now it's down to Griffiths and hopefully the penny drops for him.

"He does have a point to prove. He's in his 30s, and he has to go and show that he's still the player everyone thinks he is.

"He's got a great opportunity to go and play for Dundee and it would be a huge achievement for him to fire the goals in and keep them in the league."