Craig Gordon last night praised the attitude and endeavour of match winner Leigh Griffiths as the striker came off the bench to give Celtic all three points against Rosenborg.

Griffiths' header three minutes from time got Celtic's Europa League campaign off to a winning start on a night when the Parkhead side had been frustrated for much of the game.

The Scotland internationalist was given a public kick up the backside by Brendan Rodgers on the morning of yesterday's game with the Celtic manager insisting that there is still much Griffiths needs to bring to his game.

And Gordon was delighted that the striker stole the headlines last night.

"He got himself into a great position to get on the back of Dedryck's knockdown," said Gordon. "Dedryck did fantastically well too to get onto that and knock it into such a dangerous area. It was a great leap from him and then that is the type of striker that Leigh is.

"He gets into those situations and more often than not he puts them away.

"He is a goalscorer and he wants to play games. When he isn't playing he isn't happy and it is a difficult position.

There are not too many strikers that can play every single game and forward players are rotated at times. Sometimes we play with one, sometimes we play with two and sometimes we look to him to come off the bench and make an impact and that is exactly what he done."

It was not a vintage performance from Celtic last night but for Gordon the main thing was taking all three points to get the group off to a strong start.

"It was important to get the three points, especially at home. It wasn't our best performance but we have go the three points which was so vital."

Griffiths, meanwhile, insisted he has nothing to prove after a week in which he has lamented his displacement within the national team.

The striker had to settle with watching from the bench for almost 75 minutes before getting onto the park but he has reiterated that he can be trusted to contribute to the high profile nights.

"I’ve done it for years," he said. "I don’t know why people keep doubting me and say I can’t score goals in the big occasion.

"I’ve done it in the Champions League, the Europa League, the League Cup, the Scottish Cup and the league.

"There are still people out there doubting me and saying that I can’t do this and that.

"But I keep shutting people up.

"As a forward, it’s always going to be based on scoring goals.

"It is frustrating when people say ‘he can’t do this or that’.

"I’m judged on how I play on the park and how many goals I score.

"Ultimately, it’s about getting three points foe the team and that’s what I’m good at.

"I don’t think there is going to be a designated No1 striker.

"I think the manager and will chop and change who he goes with depending on the opponent.

"Regardless of anything, I need to keep working hard in training and do my job so that when I come on off the bench or start games I need to put in performances.

"The manager isn’t having a go at me. He just said that the game is evolving and that strikers are doing more running and racking back.

"I don’t have to prove anything. He sees me day in day out. He knows how hard I work on and off the park.

"When I come on, I try and make an impact to keep myself in the starting 11."