NEIL Lennon feels Leigh Griffiths is getting closer to his best every day – after impressing the Celtic manager by reporting for training this week when the rest of the squad were on a day off.

The Scotland striker, a late sub in yesterday’s 2-1 win against Aberdeen, was omitted from the BetFred Cup final squad recently even with established choice Odsonne Edouard struggling for fitness. Another striker could also be on the cards in a January window where Lennon reckons the club need a “minimum of two” and as “no more than four” new players. But the Northern Irishman insists that Griffiths is far too good a player to be allowed to go out on loan.

“He’s too good a player to go out on loan,” said Lennon. “I think he can be an asset for us in the second half of the season. He’s not making any waves to go.

“He brings us that something different,” the Northern Irishman added. “He has that striker’s instinct and movement. He’s looking better in training — day by day, week by week. If we can get him fully fit for the long haul, there’s no way I’d let him go on loan.

“He seems happy and he’s not coming off it, he doesn’t seem distracted by anything. He’s making good progress. We have the boys a day off on Thursday and he came — that’s a really good sign for me.”