'Being a Hibs fan' - Leigh Griffiths names ex-Easter Road ace footballing idol alongside Michael Owen

Ex-Hibs ace Leigh Griffiths picked out another former Easter Road favourite as his idol growing up.

The Celtic striker named Derek Riordan and Michael Owen as the players he looked up to and used as a reference for his game.

Griffiths took part in a Q&A on Celtic’s official Instagram where he was asked about his “footballing idol growing up”.

He responded: “Being a Hibs fan, it had to be Derek Riordan. Michael Owen as well, not tall but could finish! Just like me.”

Riordan and Griffiths may well have played together if things had turned out differently in the summer of 2011.

Riordan’s contract expired that year following his second spell at Easter Road. He was offered a new deal but would have been required to take a “significant wage cut”, it was reported.

He moved to China to join Shaanxi Chanba signing a two-year deal but leaving five months into the Chinese stint.

Griffiths would join Hibs on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August for what would be one of two loan spells before his switch to Celtic in 2013.

During his time at Easter Road he averaged a goal every other game and became the first Hibs player to win the Scottish Football Writers’ Player of the Year in 2013 since Pat Stanton 43 years earlier. In addition he won the SPL Player of the Year and PFA Scotland’s Young Player of the Year.