Matt O'Riley

Probably just some squad/load management for Hatate. Pull somebody at 60-70min and they might be fine for 90min @ 100% just days later, it can make a difference. The rotating of the squad is playing the long game I think.

 

MATT O’Riley has dismissed suggestions that Celtic lost their UEFA Conference League knockout round play-off with Bodo/Glimt because Ange Postecoglou fielded him alongside Tom Rogic in midfield.

O’Riley and Rogic started both of the games against the Norwegian champions and were unable to prevent their Glasgow club slumping to a 5-1 aggregate defeat and crashing out of the new competition.

Many fans and pundits claimed that selecting two playmakers against opponents who had gone undefeated in the group stages left the cinch Premiership leaders too exposed at the back.




However, the English-born footballer enjoyed being deployed next to the Australian internationalist and felt there were other factors which contributed to the heavy loss.

The 21-year-old, a £1.5m signing from MK Dons in January, argued that Celtic had failed to deal with Bodo’s attacking gameplan and had not been clinical enough up front.

“Good players can play with good players and the defensive side of things comes down to more than just two players,” he said.


“We’ve only started two games together and it’s been against, arguably, the best team we’ve faced this season. So it’s never going to be easy. If we started with a different midfield, it could have been worse - or better.




It comes down to more than that. As a team, we just weren’t good enough on or off the ball. We got picked off at times.”

O’Riley added: “There were numerous factors to it. In the league, we’re used to teams who sit deep against us - they all play a similar way.

“Bodo were different because they were more expansive. When they were able to beat our press, they looked dangerous on the counter attack.

“That was a new challenge for us to deal with and it’s where they really punished us. They were clinical going forward.

“We didn’t play our best at Celtic Park but I still don’t think it was a 3-1 game. It felt like every shot they had went in.





“We just weren’t good enough in the final third. It came down to both boxes and they were better in ours than we were in theirs.

“And even though we lost, I still felt we showed enough to get more than that overall result.”

 

Was much better when he came on than Rogic..

Should be scoring though.....or would it have been offside anyway?

 

I don't think we draw if he starts the game ahead of Rogic.

We essentially played with 10 men for an hour. Aye that last half hour wasn't great either but having him on the entire 90 would have made a big difference.

 

I think Kyogo is going to love playing with O'Riley with his vision...


...next seasoon

 

This guy could be a Calvin Klein model or something. Gorgeous *.

 

Athletic interview with his mum and dad.


Celtic, AC/DC and persuasive Postecoglou – watching Matt O’Riley with his parents


The lights are dancing inside Parkhead and the O’Rileys are scrambling up the main stand steps to see them. We’re running a little late, mainly due to a delayed cab from Glasgow city centre, but soon the great green expanse emerges and the lights dim to illuminate Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic team, shoulder to shoulder in a huddle in the centre of the field.

One of the star protagonists for the evening is Dom and Gitte O’Riley’s son, Matt, poised to play in his 10th game in five weeks. His proud parents rarely miss a minute.

“Ange made a comment recently about the new Japanese players who came in on December 31,” says Gitte, “He said, ‘Yeah, they’ve been here seven weeks and Matt O’Riley’s been here seven weeks’, but he hadn’t, he came in on January 20. It’s nice that he thinks of him as somebody who has been here that long, that there’s no difference to how he looks at the first signings.

“The thing you forget, is that Matt only signed just over a month ago,” says Dom. “It’s nuts!”

Celtic, and Glasgow, is quickly becoming home for the O’Rileys. They have followed Matt north and moved home from Thames Ditton, Surrey, England, to the west end of Glasgow. They are still unpacking their boxes, but have fallen for the city and its culture, food and music. “We don’t live in England anymore. We are now Glaswegians!” Dom says. “For the foreseeable future. I’ve got to say, I love it here.”

Glasgow is a new world, for Matt and family. The enormity of Celtic was expected but football’s permanent presence across the city still can surprise. But the welcome they have had, whether that be the effusive reception when going out to lunch with Matt or standing in the away end at matches, has been overwhelmingly positive.

One thing to learn quickly about the O’Rileys is that they just don’t miss Matt’s matches, from Fulham to MK Dons and now to Celtic. Despite the stresses and travelling that comes with moving home, getting to games has remained a priority. Even Bodo/Glimt would have been ticked off, particularly as Gitte has family in northern Norway. “We looked at flights and thought, ‘This is a nightmare’,” says Dom. “We then spoke to one of the security guys later and they said there was direct flight from Stansted! If we hadn’t already moved up, I think we would have gone.”

In Denmark, Matt’s grandmother, Lis (sic), watches a live stream of nearly every game. For his mum and dad, who for work for themselves in IT and have the flexibility to go, they will travel. Whether it be Accrington, Bolton, Morecambe, or a flight up to Aberdeen or pre-seasons in Portugal.

“We’ve been to places we never would have been to,” says Dom. “We go to every single one; we are bonkers about it.”

They have had special moments, not least a whirlwind night last month when Rangerscame to visit Parkhead last month. “It was unbelievable,” says Gitte, en route to the ground. It was the best atmosphere Dom has experienced, anywhere. “There were no away fans,” he says inside the ground. “But it was like those guys” — he says pointing to the North Curve standing section of the ground — “but times 20, everywhere.”

On the field on Wednesday night, their son was again in the thick of it, plotting and probing and trying to unpick a stubborn St Mirren side, who were content to park their play on the edge of their penalty area. Dom sways with the movement of the play, rocking from side to side, almost heading balls his son goes up to compete for. Gitte is more still, but transfixed.




A few nice, one-touch lay-offs settle the mood even if tension grows as Celtic seek that crucial opening goal in their Scottish Premiership pursuit.

“When he plays like this,” says Dom. “I’m always calm.”

“He was always obsessed, as little boys are, with kicking a ball,” says Gitte. “I was the mum out with her kid who couldn’t get her son to sit! He was always: ‘Can I get the ball, can I go out?’”

From an early age, Matt showed sporting potential. The family moved back to England from Singapore, where the family lived for work reasons, and settled back in Teddington, south west London, when Matt was young.

“There was a little grass area near to Teddington School where football for little kids took place, and the boys from the area would go there and kick a ball,” says Gitte. “He was only three or four, and the guy who was running it said straight away that you should go to the school, where Brentford were doing some football for kids in the community.”

“We took him along and he loved it,” says Dom. “They said it just came naturally.”

Matt’s talent meant interest began early. His early primary school friends at Collis School were all into football and one of their parents formed a team at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), in Teddington, and after the first game the enquiries began. “We just got tapped on the shoulder by a guy at Chelsea,” says Dom. “Is he available?”

Chelsea and Brentford would be just two pre-academy development centres where Matt would play his football before anything became serious. Dom is a lifelong Reading supporter and took Matt to his first game against Millwall in 2005, which ended in a 5-0 win. After a “fun day” session next to the Madejski Stadium, Matt was picked out again.

“It was, ‘Come for a day at the club and then you’ll get your shirt signed by Kevin Doyle or whoever’,” says Dom. “I went and picked him up afterwards. He goes: ‘Dad, they want me to come tomorrow to play against Arsenal’. And I said, ‘Well, you’ve got your mate’s birthday party tomorrow’. He said, ‘I can’t go, then, can I!'”

They asked him back on another day, and after attending some training sessions and sitting in traffic to get there, he realised the distance would just be too far.

It was not just football either, as before he joined Fulham, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) asked him if he wanted to commit to tennis, and play six to seven hours per week. “I didn’t really take it seriously, he was so little,” says Gitte. “I asked Matt, ‘What do you want to do?’ He preferred football, all his friends were there. At that age, it’s just about enjoyment.”








More scouts watched Matt play for NPL and Fulham would prove persuasive — a club supported by his friends and which was not too far to travel to — despite the best efforts of Crystal Palace. “It was, ‘Oh, this is real then’,” says Dom.

Matt would be part of a talented group at Fulham, alongside Djed Spence and the Sessegnon brothers, who would win tournaments. “Back in the day, we had our ‘2000’ group when we were on tour in Europe and we all thought it would be like Man Utd in ’92,” says Gitte. “It was really fun to go travelling with them. It was a special time where we thought this group could see them into the first team. We all had dreams!”

Matt consistently played well above his age group, at 15 in the under-18s and 16 in the under-23s. By the time he reached the cusp of the first team, though, the pathway looked to be blocked. There was a run of nine Championship matches in early 2020 where Matt made the squad, but was only used once. Dom persisted in attending the games, including a stay over in Preston. “I called Gitte and said I think he’s going to come on!” he recalls. “And then he didn’t.”

“You kept on believing,” says Gitte. “By that stage I was less sure.”

Matt felt he could be competitive in the first-team picture but, with limited opportunities forthcoming, it led him to turn down a new contract. “He played against Southampton in the League Cup,” says Dom of August 2019. “He was the best outfield player — we know that because clubs started ringing up and talking about him then. But not picking him for the game after showed that he wasn’t part of Scott’s (Parker) plans.

“Maybe if there had been a regime change earlier, it would have been a different story. For Matt, he was very sad — all he ever wanted to do was play for Fulham. I think most people who watched him have said, and since has been proved, how on earth did they let him go?”

After leaving Fulham, in the middle of the pandemic, Matt had to keep his fitness up by training in a park near his home with his dad and close friends.

“I was doing 60 per cent of what he did because it’s pretty boring if you are doing the running by yourself,” says Dom. “It made me a lot fitter! With the ball work, I became slightly less crap!”

Through the help of an agent contact, Matt was offered the chance to train at MK Dons and immediately took to club and manager Russell Martin. “I went up to pick him up,” says Dom. “And he came back and went, ‘Whoa, this is good’.” In that period, he nearly joined KV Kortrijk in Belgium. After going over on trial, they quickly agreed salaries, but after two weeks they pulled the plug, unable to pay the compensation. Martin worked hard to sign him, which MK Dons did in January 2021. It was a brave call to leave in a pandemic but he has not looked back.

“I have to give him credit,” says Dom. “His mental strength was better than ours; he’s done it really well.”

Gitte checks her phone to see the starting line-up. Matt is starting, and his picture is used for the club’s announcement. “That’s our boy!” exclaims Dom.




Glasgow feels like a great fit for the O’Rileys. Dom in particular has taken to the music scene. He sings and plays guitar, writing his own music — formerly in a rock band named Straighter Shooter in the late 70s and early 80s, and more recently reviving his music love with a group named Stir Crazy. “He’s on Spotify!” says Gitte. “I’ve done lots of filming of him in little venues in Kingston.”

“I actually had a single that was released many years ago. It’s kind of a cult punk classic, ‘She’s So Fine’ with our band,” says Dom. “And it was Gary Crowley, a DJ who used to be on Radio One, he released it on a BBC album next to Altered Images and Billy Idol! We were also on BBC Four once for Britain’s Best Part-Time Band with Rhod Gilbert!”



More recently, with Stir Crazy, he released a Christmas song, too. “At MK Dons, when they had a Christmas thing, they did a questionnaire with Matt and asked, ‘What’s your favourite Christmas song?’ ‘Slade — Merry Christmas Everybody’, he said. I said, ‘You *!’ He totally forgot!”





A couple of my mates are playing here next week up in The Garage Glasgow. A good friends of ours in a big rock band, Thunder. They’re playing at the SEC soon.

“When Matt signed here, there was a band called Cregan and Co and Jim Cregan was Rod Stewart’s guitarist for 20 years. Anyway, the day before the Rangers game, Monday night Cregan and Co were doing a gig at the Milton Keynes Stables, and Rod turned up to watch him. They said: ‘My mate son’s just joined Celtic’. Rod went, ‘Oh, Matt O’Riley! I love him.’ That’s cool, isn’t it!?”

Matt is into his rock too. “He’s got a very varied taste,” says Dom. “He can talk about 70s rock in a way that no guy can. He started playing Creedence Clearwater Revival. We’re going, ‘Who?!’ But he likes everything.”

“I used to take the boys to football training with AC/DC blaring when he was seven,” laughs Gitte.

There was never much doubt about Celtic, a club that Matt has embraced and environment he is keen to thrive in. “Before signing, Matt said, ‘I’m going to have a chat with the manager first’,” recalls Dom. “He had a list of questions and then came out five minutes later and said ‘Yep, I’m going. I just know. He answered every question before I asked it’. He’s so happy about it.”

He is in a good place. “You’ll get ups and downs, because of the non-stop attention on you,” he adds. “The team all get on very well, there’s no egos, he just feels really happy. And it feels like we have been here for a lot longer than five weeks — or less than that!”

At Celtic Park, O’Riley Jr has whipped in a cross from a corner to the near post that a defender just pinches ahead of Daizen Maeda. Dom, living each moment, slaps his knees in frustration. “They just need that one goal,” he says. Gitte says her heart is normally pounding during a game and the O’Rileys know the demands at Celtic. “Winning is what matters here,” says Dom.

In the second half, Celtic get the breakthrough when Cameron Carter-Vickers slams home. They both erupt, Dom with both arms in the air.

Matt lasts the hour, rested perhaps with Livingston on the horizon. The O’Rileys, of course, plan to be there.

At full time, as Parkhead empties, they stay, hoping to capture the attention of their boy for a quick wave. “He’s not a waver,” laughs Gitte. But this time, he sees them and does wave back.

A good night’s work in a place they now call home. “It’s wonderful, amazing,” says Dom. “It does beat going to Fleetwood and Morecambe!”

 

They sound like a such a nice family

 

Good positive attitude.


Always good to see

 

Surprised this hasn't been bumped (aside from the usual Notorious update)

I thought he was class tonight, strolled about the first half, died down a bit when Rogic came on (but we know they aren't really good together)

Said this in the Hatate thread as well, but I think he's going to be a massive player for us next season. He'll still do good for the remainder of this season ofc, but I think it'll be next season he'll flourish.

 

Does seem very slow but think his running style might make him look slower?

 

Called up to Denmark U21 squad

 

Pler

 

MATT O’Riley played his part in Celtic’s 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Dundee United at Tannadice on Monday night.

And the 21-year-old midfielder woke up today to the news that he’s been selected for the Denmark Under-21 squad for their forthcoming European Championship qualifier against Belgium.

It is his first call-up to the Danish international set-up, with the player qualifying to play for Denmark through his mum.

O’Riley has impressed for Celtic since joining from MK Dons back in January, with 12 appearances and one goal already to his name.

And he’s got much to look forward to in the months ahead, with a Glasgow derby Scottish Cup semi-final looming next month, although O’Riley and his team-mates are looking no further than this weekend’s Premiership clash at home to Ross County.

Speaking after the win at Tannadice, he said: “We’re feeling good and the vibe in the changing room is really good. I think that, overall, it was a professional performance.

“We managed the game pretty well. There was a spell in the second half when we weren’t at our best, but we managed it well and got the job done.




“I think, intensity-wise, we were probably better in the first half in terms of our whole game structure, but in the second-half we knew the spaces were going to open up because they had to come out a bit more and we took advantage of that.

“I still think we could have scored a few more and been a bit more ruthless – that’s something to work on – but overall it was good.

“I’m buzzing for the semi-final, although it’s still a long way away and we’ve got other games to focus on before that, but when it comes, I’ll be ready.

“We’ve got to play them a few more times so we’ll be ready for that – we’re ready for every game, and we take every game as it comes. Ross County is our next game so we’ll prepare for that now.

 

Forgot he was part Danish again, congrats to him on that! Deserved as he's come in and flying with us.

 

Well deserved..

Came here and already getting international recognition..