Matt O’Riley has made a sudden impact since arriving at Celtic in January and has recently detailed what went on to seal the move to Glasgow.
With the Hoops in for Australian midfielder Riley McGree, there was very little discussion around MK Dons midfielder Matt O’Riley.
“I would agree that it was a whirlwind, It happened so quickly, I was on the phone to the manager and then later on that day I was packing my bags and then playing a game days later,” said Matt O’Riley speaking to the Celtic View.
“I was made aware of the interest and an hour later I was on the phone to the manager and within five minutes he sold it to me and I knew I wanted to come here.”
It was vitally important that Celtic acted quick in the window to bolster the squad as it was becoming increasingly clear that the side badly lacked depth.
The game at Tynecastle was hugely important in the overall course of the season with O’Riley being absolutely outstanding on the night. Goals from Reo Hatate and Giorgos Giakoumakis sealed the three points on the night in a game which could have gone either way with Liam Boyce being denied by the post from the penalty spot with Celtic holding out to win the game 2-1.
“I was thrown into the deep end at Hearts away, I only trained two days and I was straight in but that was perfect for me as it’s the best way to get to know your team-mates.”
The Danish midfielder will have certainly left a lasting impression on his peers that evening and has settled into the squad extremely well. There has been a number of top performances from O’Riley since but once again like many of the players which have left a lasting impression on Celtic fans, we are yet to be treated to a full season of these players.
With the departure of Tom Rogic imminent, we are likely to see much more of O’Riley in the coming season. The 21 year old is only going to get better and I’m sure will be looking forward to working with Harry Kewell.
