Celtic hero Matt O’Riley is doing the unthinkable at Marseille, with a Callum McGregor twist

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Many Celtic fans knew Matt O’Riley was going right to the top.

O’Riley played for an elite club in Celtic, but unfortunately, given the gulf of Scottish football compared to the rest of Europe, the champions of Scotland couldn’t provide the platform his talents deserved.

That’s why, during the summer transfer window of 2024, O’Riley secured a transfer from Celtic to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Despite injury issues in his debut campaign in the Premier League, the Norway international was still on the radar of some of Europe’s giants this summer, as he secured a loan deal to Marseille.

Fast forward to the present, and O’Riley is living his life right at the top.

• READ MORE: Joe Hart states what ‘nobody would have ever said’ about Matt O’Riley at Celtic amid ‘fans unrest’

Matt O’Riley helps Marseille to the top of Ligue 1

Paris Saint-Germain are the European champions, on top of the fact that they won the Treble last term.

All of this is painful viewing for their biggest rivals – Marseille – but could the temperature of the water be changing in France? 

After O’Riley helped Marseille beat PSG last month, he started his side’s 6-2 thrashing of Le Havre over the weekend.

That win, after PSG drew 3-3 with RC Strasbourg, means that Roberto De Zerbi’s side are sitting top of the tree in France. One point ahead of their rivals.

O’Riley is playing a deeper role under Roberto De Zerbi

The last time Marseille won Ligue 1 was in 2010, and since then, PSG’s all-dominant money has swept everyone aside.

So, it would be something if O’Riley could help Marseille do the unthinkable this term and become champions once again.

But it’s interesting to note that, whilst O’Riley was at Celtic and he played as a number ten to great effect, he is playing much deeper for Marseille, and a Callum McGregor-like role. 

This shouldn’t be a surprise to Celtic fans because O’Riley has always had the technical ability to take the ball under pressure, so running the game from deep, like McGregor would do at his peak, is normal for him.

O’Riley’s positions this season: 

• Defensive midfield
• Games: 4
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 1
• WhoScored rating: 7.04

• Central attacking midfield
• Games: 3
• Goals: 1
• WhoScored rating: 6.73

• Central midfield 
• Games: 1
• WhoScored rating: 6.7