Matt O’Riley has a brilliant long-term goal at Celtic

Add as preferred source on Google

Matt O’Riley has made an incredible impression at Celtic since signing from MK Dons.

He’s effortlessly slotted into Ange Postecoglou’s attacking midfield, combining with Jota, Reo Hatate and Tom Rogic amongst others to great effect.

In fact, he’s been so good that part of you starts to consider O’Riley as an incredible Celtic asset, not just a player in this current team.

Matt O’Riley wants to reach the top with Celtic

Just 21, English, eligible for multiple national teams and signed for just £1.5m, you can’t help but think he is going to make the Bhoys a tremendous profit one day.

For O’Riley it’s not about that. He has a long-term vision for his career. He wants to go to the top. However, crucially, he thinks he can do it with Celtic.

He told The Scottish Daily Mail today [11/02 print edition, page 92]: “It is not necessarily easy to settle in quickly at a club like Celtic, so I am really happy with the way it is going. Obviously, support from fans is always nice, so I am very grateful for that.

“I have to aim big and I am not going to settle for a certain level. I want to reach the very top.

“That’s what I want to do, and a club like Celtic has the potential to do that, so I am really happy here and happy to be playing.”

Now I am obviously reading between the lines here, they won’t outright say it, but from what O’Riley has said here, what other players have said in recent weeks and what Ange Postecoglou has been saying – it really sounds like this group have ambitions to play in the Champions League.

I know there’s a long way to go before entertaining that notion. Celtic have to prove themselves in Scotland first. But this is where Postecoglou is taking Celtic. This is where they all want to go, into that group stage and going up against the best the continent has to offer.

That O’Riley is buying into this vision is a very good sign. He’s not talking about Celtic being a stepping stone or anything like that. He is of the firm belief he can reach the pinnacle of club football and do it with Celtic.

That ambition throughout the squad will serve us well.

In other news, Christopher Jullien Celtic return latest from Ange.