This time last year you would be deemed idiotic for suggesting that Leigh Griffiths wasn't the first name on the teamsheet at Celtic.

In 2015/16 he scored an incredible 40 goals for the club, the first man to do so since Henrik Larsson.

Fast forward to now and you would be deemed idiotic for suggesting he should in the starting XI at Celtic, ahead of Moussa Dembele anyway. The emergence of the 20-year-old Frenchman has coincided with niggling injury problems for Griffiths and given the form Dembele is in, it's hard to see the Scotland international starting anytime soon.

There is undoubtedly a great player in there though and his scoring record at Celtic is superb. He has 80 goals in 133 appearances in his time at the club, not bad at face value but when you consider that 37 of those appearances were from the bench it's even better.

Still a fan favourite, his career at the Hoops is far from over, let's not forget he still has 13 goals this season. However, the onus is now on him to persuade Brendan Rodgers he should be featuring from the start regularly again.

Here are three things Griffiths must do to get back into Rodgers' XI...

Work hard to stay fit

Leigh Griffths' injury problems haven't been the result of a bad challenge or an unlucky clash but more those niggling muscle issues that plague players who aren't getting regular game time.

As we all know, Brendan Rodgers is a perfectionist and recently called Griffiths out on his inability to maintain the standard of fitness that is required at a club like Celtic.

As quoted by the BBC in January, he said:

"You have to work at it - and it's a cycle. It's one where, when he's playing and fit, Leigh's very good but can still work harder in training.

"The problem is if you're not getting the games and then if you're not quite on it in training then you're losing fitness. But then the moment you're asked to come in and get up to speed in a real high-tempo, intense game, the moments that are there for you to risk injury are far greater."

Now he is back in first team training, Griffiths needs to set the example of how to train and work harder than everyone else in order to prove himself to his manager.

Rodgers has shown in the past he rewards hard work with Dedryck Boyata and Stuart Armstrong getting a run of games in the team due to the efforts they showed on the training pitch.

It's on the striker to give his manager a tough selection headache in the months to come.

Work on his lone striker skills

There's no doubting that Leigh Griffiths is an exceptional goalscorer. He has the ability and composure to finish chances in almost any situation. The variety of goals he scored last season was quite superb.

However the powerhouse performances of Moussa Dembele, aside from his goals, have really improved the all round game of Celtic. The strength of Dembele's hold up play is impressive, as his consistency in finding teammates with his passing and through balls.

In a key situation, Griffiths has the lethal ability and final ball to rack up the assists but it's in these less dangerous moments for opponents that the Scotland striker needs to improve and bring his teammates into the game more.

If he can show Rodgers he's able to do that then he will undoubtedly get his chance at some point.

Take his chances off the bench

It seems likely, over the next few weeks at least, that Leigh Griffiths will probably get most of his first team opportunities from the bench, assuming that Moussa Dembele is uninjured.

He returned from a month's absence at the weekend against Hamilton but if anything appeared to be trying too hard to impress rather than just settling into the match.

He needs to take these second half substitute appearances and make them unforgettable, chipping in with goals and assists and perhaps more importantly proving to Rodgers than his work at Lennoxtown is transferring itself to match situations.

Griffiths is no stranger to goals from the bench and has had to prove himself from this situation to three Celtic managers now, so we know he has the passion and determination to take advice on board and improve as a player and as a professional. There's no doubting that with the right application he can be the main man at Celtic Park once again.