Matt O’Riley has bought into the Celtic culture at Lennoxtown immediately. And it’s because of the small details around nutrition, fitness and the Lennoxtown atmosphere, according to a report.
O’Riley, along with Reo Hatate, has fit into life at Celtic seamlessly since joining in the January window. The same is true of the Celtic signings in general; 9 Ange transfers started against Rangers, to devastating effect.
And it’s the small details making the difference, according to a report in The Athletic. The size of the club speaks for itself. But the methodologies and areas of focus at Celtic under Ange Postecoglou are having a substantial impact.
Not just on fitness and form, but morale and togetherness, too.
The report says [The Athletic]: “O’Riley has not only settled in seamlessly on the pitch.
“On the day he signed, he was shown around Celtic Park and after seeing the trophy room with its European Cup at the centre of all the others, the size of the club he had signed for really hit home.
“He pays close attention to his diet — turmeric is a crucial part of his post-match recovery process, for example — so he has appreciated staff attentiveness to minor details on nutrition and fitness. So far, he has enjoyed the professionalism and focus of the training ground, where the use of phones is discouraged but constant squad integration is encouraged.”
Ange Postecoglou has rung the changes for Celtic at Lennoxtown, and Matt O’Riley is feeling immediate benefit
Now, this stuff about turmeric is actually really important. One of Ange Postecoglou’s first staff moves at Celtic was to bring Anton McElhone to the club. Not long after, Celtic signed a commercial deal with The Turmeric Co [Celtic FC].
Turmeric is incredibly in vogue in football just now. Its repairing properties can help with a variety of injuries. Not only that, it’s part of a more forward-thinking fitness and nutrition culture at Celtic. These things matter; especially with the injuries players have sustained getting used to the intensity required by Postecoglou.
It’s Postecoglou, after all, who’s at the forefront of player recruitment. And it appears he’s instilled a culture of togetherness. The bit about phones is crucial, especially these days, and squad integration seems like no trouble this campaign.
Last year, not so much, although Covid-19 would’ve undoubtedly had an affect.
But the manager, and the club at large, have modernised. That’s clear in a number of ways. Scouting has become far better, and players are being quickly identified, and are able to make instantaneous impact. Fitness and nutrition, as mentioned, have become a focus.
To sign modern players who are going to make a lasting impact for Celtic, this needs to be a club that appears on the forefront. A club able to keep players motivated, fit and successful. Last season, it’s hard to imagine Lennoxtown felt like a great environment for that.
You can skeptically view this as doing the bare minimum, keeping Celtic in the 21st Century. But all this explains a lot. Man management has been crucial, and we see that in plain view when the players interact and fight for each other. It’s a close-knit unit.
But the specifics of why and how Celtic have fostered that environment at Lennoxtown is fascinating. It’s no wonder Matt O’Riley is so impressed.
Read more: Celtic captain Callum McGregor on the behind-the-scenes backing that inspired Derby return
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