When Matt O’Riley signed for Celtic back in January of last year, not many of our fans had heard of the young midfielder.
At just 20 years old, O’Riley left Fulham in search of first-team football and was offered a trial at League One’s MK Dons.
And it was on his first day at training that convinced the then MK Dons manager, Russell Martin to offer him a contract.
Martin said [Sky Sports], “I got a call from an agent telling me he [O’Riley] needed somewhere to train. I just thought ‘right, okay, we can have a look at him’. I was aware of him, but that he’d been at a higher level and was on the radar of clubs like Dortmund.
“That first day, wow. What a technician. We knew we had a player there from the first day and that perhaps we might not get a chance to sign someone of this quality at League One level very often.
“But after a few weeks, it was Matt who came to me and said ‘I really like the way Dons play, can we do something? He had the likes of Burnley and Southampton looking at him. Pete Winkleman the chairman was really good to be fair, and we gave him a contract.
“In the first few games for us, he was incredible. We played Spurs in pre-season and he was outstanding against them. We went and played at Rochdale on a Tuesday night; it was freezing and the pitch was an ice rink, but Matt put on a masterclass.
“We knew then he was above our level – and it was because of his mentality as much as anything. He backed himself. Myself and my staff left for Swansea and we tried to bring him there. It was a very sad moment for me when the deal we tried to do fell down, but then he went to Celtic and he’s just kept on progressing – and I’m not surprised.
“It’s his mentality that sets him apart. He’s supremely confident and a super pro; his diet is spot on, and he’s really athletic, more than he is given credit for. He’s got everything to play at the top – for Denmark and in the Premier League.”
O’Riley is clearly very well thought of by his former manager. And it is little wonder.
The Danish u21 international’s debut season at Celtic was very impressive. Almost straight away, he showed his quality in the green and white Hoops.
A fast and frenetic baptism at Tynecastle where a debut assist helped Celtic to a 2-1 win over Hearts was followed up with a stuffy last-minute 1-0 win over Dundee United.
But it was his performance in the infamous 3-0 win over Rangers that really impressed the Celtic support. That was the fixture that we knew we had a serious player in our squad and O’Riley has gone from strength to strength.
Due to his impressive form, the Celtic midfielder was called up to the Danish u21 team and earned his first cap at that level. He also scored his first u21 international goal against Turkey in June 2022. O’Riley was also the subject of some intense summer transfer speculation this year.
But for now, he is enjoying another run in the team and the fans will be hoping that he will be pivotal in helping bring another treble home by lifting the Scottish Cup in June.
In other news, Why Callum McGregor’s uncharacteristic post-match interview will please the Celtic fans
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