Matt O’Riley has taken the step to ban his parents and agent from talking to him about potential summer transfer interest to ensure his focus remains with Celtic.
With interest from top European clubs like Atletico Madrid, which saw a substantial bid rejected in January, the chatter around his next move could easily become a distraction.
During the January transfer window, Atletico Madrid proposed a loan deal with an obligation to buy O’Riley for £18 million, a figure below Celtic’s valuation of £25 million. Despite the looming interest, O’Riley’s commitment to Celtic remains unwavering, as he continues to play a pivotal role in their pursuit of domestic glory.
In an interview with Sky Sports, O’Riley expressed his determination to keep discussions about his future at bay, stressing the importance of concentrating on the present challenges with Celtic.
When asked if he has banned his close ones from discussing the interest, O’Riley revealed: “Yeah I have to be fair. I have said that to my parents and my agent and even people in the club. People naturally want to talk about stuff like that but I think it is a big distraction when I have got a job to do here.
He opened up on the mental side of the interest, saying: “It was mainly just a case of where my attention was to be honest. When the noise is there, if your attention is on that then naturally when you are on the pitch it is going to be in the back of your head. I addressed that, spoke to one of the coaches I work with outside of football and we really just focused on coming back to basics and it helped a lot.”
