Matt O’Riley has opened up about his taste in music and the eclectic mix of tunes he likes to listen while preparing for a big match.
The 21-year old midfielder made an instant impact when he made the switch north to Glasgow from MK Dons during the January transfer window.
His outstanding performances earned him his first Danish U21 call up with the midfielder still setting his sights on a place in Denmark’s World Cup squad.
O’Riley is a huge music fan with his father Dom being quite the influence as he is a singer-songwriter himself that has had a heavy influence on the variety of tunes which the Celtic midfielder enjoys.
It’s likely that in the coming months, O’Riley will play in some of the biggest matches of his career so far and beforehand could be listening to Aussie rockers AC/DC which I’m sure the Celtic boss would enjoy or Justin Bieber.
“I guess I’ve kind of followed in my dad’s footsteps when it comes to music. I’d say I am more open to modern music than he is, though,” said Matt O’Riley speaking to the Scottish Sun.
“At the same time I have developed a strong connection with the rock stuff he likes.
“When I was five or six, I’d be banging my head to rock in the car. It’s not heavy stuff, more your classic stuff and I got into that quite early.
“I’d always be watching a lot of YouTube videos of live rock bands, and I decided which ones I thought were really good.
“I just kept doing it and thought it was cool. Then I started to think that listening to music before games would be a good thing to do, because it gets you psyched up.
“But my dad is more straight into that genre. I’m also more open to rap and stuff like that. I am 21 and he’s 61, so that’s fair!
“I have different playlists I like to listen to before games.
“You have AC/DC, Aerosmith and so on, and what I listen to depends on how I’m feeling.
“I could honestly switch it up from the madder stuff — it could be rock to Justin Bieber within a song, which sounds crazy!
“I think everyone goes through phases of music they like. So if I’m going through a pop phase I’ll play that before a game.
“It doesn’t really matter what I listen to, as long as I’m feeling all right and enjoying the song.
“I really like to listen to the song properly in a sense, too. I like to get quite involved.
“So before a match, half the time when I’m listening to my music I’m probably not thinking about the game at that point. All I’m concentrating on is the song.
“It keeps me grounded in a sense and quite in the moment.
“That’s revolved around my recent success, if you want to call it that.
“It’s related to staying as present as I can and I think it’s helping.”
With O’Riley pointing towards his listening habits to have had a positive influence up until, it will be hoped that the volume is cranked right up when Europe’s big boys roll into town in the coming months.
Football ability is not the only skill which the O’Riley family possesses with Matt’s father Dom having had an interesting career in the music business having beeen a member of the band Straighter Shooter and most recently Stir Crazy.
“My dad still writes songs. He’s actually a really good songwriter.
“I don’t think he’s into it as much as he was, just because it’s been so intense with the Celtic stuff, and he and my mum moving to Glasgow.
“But he likes to play when he can and it’s good for him to have a hobby on the side to enjoy.
“I don’t play any instruments. I went through a phase where I played the drums when I was younger. But I’m more into just listening and dancing to it.”
It’s interesting to read how much the family have bought into the club with his family also uprooting and moving to Glasgow. Matt’s Dad is a regular visitor to Celtic Park to watch his boy in the green and white hoops.
With Celtic having lost Tom Rogic during this window this will be a big season for O’Riley who is only going to get better under Ange Postecoglou.
