Leigh Griffiths: 'Rangers didn't deserve to earn promotion'

Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has admitted that seeing Glasgow rivals Rangers miss out on promotion to the Scottish Premiership is "disappointing".

The Gers were comfortably beaten 6-1 by Motherwell over two legs in the playoff final, meaning that their three-year wait for a top-flight return goes on.

Scotland international Griffiths insists that he would have liked to have faced off against Celtic's Old Firm rivals next season, but declares that Stuart McCall's side did not deserve to progress through.

"It is disappointing," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Record. "As a Celtic player and a fan you want Old Firm games but over the two legs Motherwell showed why they are still in the Premiership and Rangers aren't.

"We can only beat who is in front of us, whether it was Rangers or Motherwell. It is Motherwell, we congratulate them and we will see them next season."

Griffiths enjoyed a 20-goal campaign for the Bhoys, which led to him being called up to the most recent Scotland squad for games against Qatar and the Republic of Ireland.