Barry Ferguson insists Neil Lennon's decision to leave Leigh Griffiths at home for pre-season shows the manager is not 'mucking around'.

The Rangers hero believes Lennon is fully focused on securing 10 in a row and will take no nonsense from anyone this season to ensure more title success. Griffiths has been left out of the squad for their upcoming trip to France for friendly matches and did not travel down south to Loughborough with the rest of his teammates.

It comes amid news that the 29-year-old's fitness levels are not close to where they should be. But while Ferguson reckons Griffiths still has a part to play for the Hoops this term, he has urged the player to buckle down because he knows Lennon is not taking any prisoners.

Speaking on PLZ Soccer he said: "It was a surprise. I thought since the turn of the year when Neil Lennon started using the 3-5-2 more often he was getting back to his old self. Obviously, with the Covid-19 hitting, everyone has been shacked up in their houses.

"Obviously Leigh is not at the level of fitness that Neil Lennon wants and has been told to stay behind. "It shows that Lenny isn’t mucking about this season. Leigh needs to get fitter, it will be a kick up the backside for him but I still believe he will have a massive part to play next season. When you get him up to scratch, he is a very good player, a very good goal scorer."