Ange Postecoglou loves grafters in his Celtic team, so the reported pursuit of Matt O’Riley makes utter sense.
Postecoglou, whose Celtic training ground footage went semi-viral in the summer [Celtic FC], has valued a hard shift beyond anything else. It’s paid off; he’s getting 90 minutes from Tom Rogic regularly, Anthony Ralston has become a star.
And it’s that value that informs his signings, too. Kyogo Furuhashi, for all his technical ability, does not stop. Nor do Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Juranovic, Jota or anyone else he’s brought in. Therefore, a pursuit of Matt O’Riley from MK Dons isn’t a surprise, when you read about his backstory.
O’Riley, a former Fulham Academy talent, could’ve stuck around West London to be third or fourth choice. During the pandemic, he was told not to bother coming in for training. He was still offered a new contract by manager Scott Parker.
In an interview with the Athletic from October, O’Riley detailed his decision to train by himself instead. Thereby, turning down a lucrative offer from Fulham. It’s a story that emphasises O’Riley’s determination and work ethic to a T.
He said [The Athletic]: “I didn’t want to extend my contract for an extra month, and Scott Parker called me and said he didn’t think it was best for me to train until the end of the season.
“So for a good three or four months, I was training by myself and in the park with my dad. It was a lot of time on a Watt bike and then a run and a ball session in the park, until Russ[ell Martin] said I could train with MK Dons to keep fit. I drove up there every day and back for six months.
“Looking back on it, it probably was (a difficult time). I didn’t really think about it. But when I reflect on what I actually did, to leave Fulham when I had the option of just signing a contract in front of me, it was a bold decision. But it’s one that I feel has worked out really well, both on the pitch and for me as a person. It showed that I’m doing this for football, rather than anything else like a contract or a cheque.”
Considering Ange Postecoglou’s value of work, Matt O’Riley to Celtic sounds reasonable
We could use another grafter in the midfield. Especially one who’s as capable tackling and winning the ball as they are putting it in the back of the net.
Given Ange’s tactical system, a box-to-box number 8 type seems a useful addition. More than anything else, it adds options in the midfield. Reo Hatate looks an inspired signing, but he’s the only one of those types of players that we really have.
Parker, the former Fulham manager, tried to play O’Riley as a 6. In O’Riley’s on words, though [The Athletic]: “When you play deeper, you don’t have as much licence to go forward. I feel like it was restricting my strengths. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t really how I wanted to play.”
A star at MK Dons, O’Riley is just 21. However, he has the steadfast and resilient attitude of a far older player. In a team like Celtic, where constant pressure and stamina are required, he fits in with Ange’s ideology.
Would he be a regular starter? It’s hard to say, but the fact would be that Ange would be strengthening his midfield in a very specific way. It’s clear he wants Callum McGregor playing deeper and dictating play. But the connection between him and number 10s Rogic and Turnbull took a while to develop. Having mediators in the middle to do hard yards is a great idea.
This deal looks like happening. And when you understand the mindset of a guy who turned down more money to train by himself, until he was noticed? It’s a move that just screams Ange.
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